'The offer...' - Liverpool could have signed Real Madrid superstar for £2.5m in 2017 - he's now worth £70m

Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo has made a stunning claim that Liverpool offered to sign him back in 2017.

The Brazilian attacker has developed into a key starter for the Spanish club since arriving for €45m (£39m) in 2018. Since then, he’s made over 200 appearances and netted 52 goals and picked up nine major trophies, including one Champions League and two La Liga titles. In 2017, he was a highly-regarded youngster at Santos, one of Brazil’s premiere clubs. Scouted by Liverpool at the time, they allegedly offered a deal to bring the then 16-year-old to Merseyside in what would have been a sensational deal. Since then, his value has skyrocketed to around £70m (€80.9m) and he is regarded as one of Brazil’s best attackers.

Speaking to the Guardian, Rodrygo revealed the extent of the situation, shining a light on why the deal broke down - Rodrygo revealed: “I almost joined Liverpool in 2017, the deal was done for €3m. It collapsed because I said no. I wanted to stay at Santos, make history, finish my studies and then leave… even though the offer from Liverpool was very good”.

It’s a story that was previously reported in 2022 and his agent spoke in detail about the failed move. Nick Arcuri, his agent, explained to Canal do Nicola: "When Rodrygo went to sign his first professional contract with Santos, aged 16, a Liverpool director called me saying that Klopp already knew the player, had seen the material, had already come to see Rodrygo personally.

"He had gone on YouTube, searched 'talents from Brazil', Rodrygo had appeared and he was very young. He came to Brazil and liked him. They contacted me, the Liverpool director wanted him to be his first signing, Rodrygo."

In what was a transfer blow at the time, during the same window Jurgen Klopp went onto sign some of their most important players from the Klopp era. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson were brought in as well as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Dominic Solanke on a free transfer who was later sold for to Bournemouth for a huge profit.