Rodrygo, the Brazilian international, moved to the Bernabeu in 2019. He had the opportunity to join Anfield earlier in his career as he drew interest from Europe at the age of 16.

However, he chose to make 80 appearances for his hometown club Santos as a teenager, donning the No.11 shirt and following in the footsteps of Neymar. According to Rodrygo, Liverpool offered him a promising pathway to Europe, but his desire to feature for Santos outweighed the proposal.

He explained, “We didn’t close the deal because I didn’t want to. 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.”

His dream was to play in Europe, but he chose to stay at Santos to make history at the club. Eventually, he fulfilled his dream of playing for Santos before moving to Real Madrid.

Rodrygo expressed his long-standing preference for Real Madrid, saying, “I always said I preferred Real Madrid and when they came I didn’t even have to ask questions, so 20 minutes and it was all done. I think everyone who knows me since I was a child knows I’ve always been a Real Madrid fan.

I always told my dad I’d play for Real Madrid and when they came I didn’t have any doubts at all.”