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Liverpool wonderkid Harvey Elliot rejected an offer from Real Madrid in favour of the Merseyside club in the summer of 2019. According to The Athletic, the English youngster had no intention of signing for Real Madrid after Sergio Ramos had injured Mohamed Salah in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final.
As a boyhood Liverpool fan, Elliot made the journey to Kyiv with his family to watch the final. As Real Madrid took on Liverpool, the Reds were dealt a hammer blow in the first half. Salah, who had been their talisman that season, was substituted prematurely after a tussle with Ramos had dislocated his shoulder.
The Merseyside club never recovered from the early setback, as Real Madrid took control of the game and recorded a 3-1 victory. By doing so, Real Madrid also became the first team in the history of the competition to win three UCL titles in succession.
In the summer that followed, Elliot received an offer from Real Madrid to sign for them. The Spanish giants also offered the 16-year-old at the time to have a meeting with Ramos. Much to their astonishment, Elliot emphatically rejected their advances.
"No its okay, thanks. I don't like him [Sergio Ramos] after what he did to Mohamed Salah"
Ramos is Real Madrid's captain and is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation. The veteran centre half has won the lot for club and country and continues to lead Real Madrid.
However, his reputation as an on-field villain and warrior-like attitude has been echoed by several footballers across the world. Recently, Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini described the Real Madrid captain as the best defender in the world and lavished praise on his devilish attitude.
"You could say he's impulsive and not very tactically aware. He's a very technical player, the complete opposite of me. Without him, Madrid turn into a team without a defence. Without him, Varane, Marcelo and Carvajal look like kids playing for the reserve team."
Elliot reveals Real Madrid snub in favour of Liverpool.
Elliot rejected Real Madrid's offer and ended up signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2019. The youngster has featured seven times for the senior side this season and has been hailed as the club's little diamond.
As per The Athletic's report, his style has been described as "Messi-like" by Fulham's academy director Huw Jennings. Elliot is regarded as one of the brightest young players in world football and his decision to reject Real Madrid has been vindicated in some style.
While Liverpool recovered from failure in Kyiv by winning the UCL title a year later, Real Madrid went trophyless in the 2018-19 season and are currently behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race.
Jurgen Klopp's side, on the other hand, are a staggering 25 points clear in the Premier League summit and are just two wins away from securing their first league title in 30 years.
