The Brazilian explained his decision to reject Liverpool at 16.
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has explained why he turned down a transfer to Liverpool after the club promised him a “very good” pathway for his career.
The 23-year-old forward joined Los Blancos from Santos in the summer of 2019 for €45 million and hit the ground running by scoring five goals in his opening six matches.
He has since become a key player for the Spanish giants, making over 200 appearances across a productive four-year spell.
But things could have been very different for Rodrygo, who was heavily linked with a €3 million move to Liverpool in 2017, when he was coming through the youth ranks at Santos.
Explaining his decision to turn down the Premier League side ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Manchester City, the Brazil international didn’t hold back.
“We didn’t close the deal because I didn’t want to,” Rodrygo said.
“I wanted to stay at Santos even though the offer was very good. The pathway they promised me would also have been very good for my career. I was going to finish my studies in England to prepare for European football.
“It had always been my dream to play in Europe,” he added. Everything was very good, but my desire spoke louder. I wanted to stay at Santos and make a bit of history at the club. And that’s what happened.
“I was able to fulfil my dream of playing for Santos. But it’s true, I almost went to Liverpool.”
Shortly after signing for Real Madrid, former Santos interim manager Elano claimed Rodrygo turned down the chance to move to Anfield after a “low” offer was made.
He said: “There was strong interest from Liverpool for the kid when he was in the youth teams and they wanted him, but the offer was low.
“Then the offer arrived from Real Madrid, I had a chat with the club and I told them the kid was worth gambling on and that I would like to work with him.
“He already had this ability at a young age. There are very few players that are like that when they’re so young. He’s already mature and has a personality to his game.”
