With Brazilian wonderkid Rodrygo making headlines for Real Madrid in recent weeks, it has now been revealed that the teenage sensation came close to signing for Premier League giants Liverpool before his move to Spain.
The 18-year-old joined Los Blancos from Santos at the beginning of the season for a reported transfer fee of €45 million (R735 million), and has already scored five goals in six appearances for the club.
Included in his tally was a hat-trick against Galatasaray on Wednesday, which saw him become the second-youngest player ever to score a treble in the UEFA Champions League, behind only Real legend Raul.
Former Santos interim manager Elano has now revealed that things could have been very different for the Brazil starlet as he came close to signing for English giants Liverpool before his move to Madrid.
"There was a very strong interest from Liverpool for the boy when he was in the lower categories and he wanted to go, but the offer was low," Elano told ESPN.
"Then came the offer from Madrid. I had a talk with the club and told them it was worth betting on the boy and that I would like to work with him."
Rodrygo scored 10 goals in 49 appearances during his spell with Santos, and was named the Campeonato Paulista's Best Newcomer in 2018.
