Some Liverpool fans may remember that way before Rodrygo became famous in Europe, the Reds had already been linked to him.
These rumours started in 2017, before the winger had even signed his first professional contract with Santos.
Following his early success at the Brazilian side, he ended up moving to Real Madrid when turning 18 years of age in 2019.
Even though there were a few stories saying Liverpool were interested in the teenager back then, there were never been many details on how far the Reds’ chase for him went. But that changes now.
Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola conducted a live chat with agent Nick Arcuri on Tuesday night, with viewers making questions about his clients. Rodrygo was obviously one of the subjects, regarding his move to Real Madrid.
The representative said Liverpool were the first to move.
“When Rodrygo went to make 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 entered YouTube, searched ‘talents from Brazil’, Rodrygo had appeared and he was very young. He came to Brazil, liked him.”
“They contacted me, the Liverpool director wanted him to be his first signing, Rodrygo. I went to England, sat in London, Liverpool have an office in London. I brought the proposal to Modesto, then president of Santos. Modesto didn’t accept. It was Rodrygo’s sale so when he turned 18 he’d go to Liverpool. It turned out that Santos didn’t want to sell Rodrygo and made the first professional contract. So it was Rodrygo’s first official proposal, he was 16 and it was Liverpool.”
Interestingly, Real Madrid’s deal for Rodrygo was closed in Liverpool. That’s because Santos president José Carlos Peres was in the city with Brazil’s youth team, so the agent and Real Madrid’s representative both went there to find the agreement, which was closed in a Starbucks coffee shop.
The official number for this move was €45m, but Arcuri claims that due to taxes in Spain, Real Madrid spent a total of €54m.
