Jurgen Klopp discovered Brazilian star on YouTube but he signed Real Madrid contract at Anfield

Rodrygo won't beryllium disposable to diagnostic for Real Madrid against Liverpool connected Wednesday owed to injury, but the Brazilian could person been playing successful reddish colours if the nine hadn't failed successful negotiations to motion him arsenic a teen successful 2017

Liverpool missed retired connected signing Real Madrid prima Rodrygo for conscionable £2.5million successful 2017 aft Jurgen Klopp discovered the Brazilian connected YouTube - earlier agreeing to articulation the LaLiga giants portion playing a affable astatine Anfield.

The Reds look Madrid astatine Anfield connected Wednesday knowing 1 of their apical players could person been wearing their colours if things had gone their mode astir 7 years ago, erstwhile Liverpool were successful "advanced talks" to motion Rodrygo - past from Santos - successful a cut-price deal.

Rodrygo, who is injured for this week's clash, has already spoken retired astir the failed determination earlier this year but quotes from his erstwhile cause and ex-Santos brag Elano explaining the ordeal person travel to light.

Agent Nick Arcuri said Klopp had travelled to conscionable the subordinate successful Brazil aft watching clips of his displays online.

He explained to Canal bash Nicola successful 2020: "He had gone connected YouTube, searched 'talents from Brazil', Rodrygo had appeared and helium was precise young. He came to Brazil and liked him. They contacted me, the Liverpool manager wanted him to beryllium his archetypal signing, Rodrygo."

Elano past revealed helium intervened erstwhile Liverpool were connected the verge of agreeing a woody for Rodrygo due to the fact that the terms was excessively debased and managed to person him to enactment with the committedness of much archetypal squad action.

He told BBC Sport successful 2022: "I went to the committee and said, 'No, no, we can't fto him permission for this'. It was a 3m euro connection lone and the talks were already astatine an precocious stage. It was beauteous overmuch a done deal. They had a verbal statement but I insisted, 'We can't bash this'.

"He was conscionable 16 years aged backmost past and, though the squad had precocious hopes for him, it was not wide yet erstwhile helium would beryllium playing for the elder side. So I went to Rodrygo and told him, 'We volition beforehand you soon. You person my word.'"

That involution paid disconnected arsenic Real Madrid would motion Rodrygo conscionable a twelvemonth aboriginal for £37m - but the determination wherever helium enactment pen to insubstantial connected his Los Blancos was ironic to accidental the least. In the summertime of 2018, Brazil played a World Cup warm-up lucifer against Croatia astatine Anfield and Rodrygo signed his declaration successful a hospitality container wrong the stadium.

The determination turned retired to beryllium a large determination for Rodrygo. He's won 2 LaLiga and 2 Champions League titles since arriving, scoring 57 times successful 231 appearances.

Explaining wherefore helium decided not to articulation Liverpool earlier this year, the 23-year-old simply said helium wasn't keen to permission Santos astatine the clip aft surviving retired his imagination of playing for the Brazilian outfit. “We didn’t adjacent the woody due to the fact that I didn’t privation to," helium said. "I wanted to enactment astatine Santos adjacent though the connection was precise good.

"I wanted to enactment astatine Santos and marque a spot of past astatine the club. And that’s what happened: I was capable to fulfil my imagination of playing for Santos. But it’s true, I astir went to Liverpool."

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