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Real Madrid nearly signed Liverpool and PSG duo Philippe Coutinho and Neymar in 2016
REAL MADRID nearly signed Liverpool and PSG duo Philippe Coutinho and Neymar during Rafa Benitez’s time in charge, according to reports.
Real Madrid nearly signed Philippe Coutinho and Neymar from Liverpool and Barcelona
Real Madrid are currently stuck in a rut with last week’s El Clasico thumping by Barcelona all but ending their hopes of retaining La Liga.
Liverpool and PSG players Coutinho and Neymar have both been linked with moves to the Bernabeu in the aftermath, despite the attacking starlets Los Blancos already have at their disposal.
Yet Spanish newspaper El Confidencial have claimed that Real Madrid could have both players in their ranks already had club president Florentino Perez got his way.
It is said the club were hellbent on signing the duo during Benitez’s time in charge.
The Spaniard spent mere months at the Bernabeu before being axed and replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane has since gone on to steady the ship in Spain by winning back to back Champions League titles.
But Real’s squad could have had a very different look and feel had the club kept faith with Benitez instead.
El Confidencial say that, in January 2016 and just before Benitez was sacked, Real president Perez was plotting a double raid.
He supposedly had set his sights on signing Neymar and Coutinho when they were teenagers.
And, nearly two years ago, he was ready to make his dream become a reality.
Perez reportedly told Neymar he would activate the Brazilian’s £200million release clause in his Barcelona contract.
Neymar scores INCREDIBLE goal during charity match in Brazil
Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was stopped from signing Neymar and Philippe Coutinho
With Coutinho, the message was similar. Real were ready to break and bank to lure him away from Liverpool.
But, ultimately, the deals did not go through.
Madrid opted to shut their wallets after winning the Champions League glory with Perez obeying the command of Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane, supposedly, was happy with what he had.
Yet two years down the line, Perez feels he should have forced the issue and snapped up both players while he could.
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