Liverpool had the chance to land Jude Bellingham for a very small fee decades ago
Bellingham was just nine years old and playing for Birmingham Under-11s when his family first came into contact with moving to Merseyside.
Liverpool were one of several teams that proposed to the youngster in the early 2010s, following his impressive early foray into academy football at his boyhood club.
Back in 2012, that included a two-day trial at Kirkby Academy's training ground, where Bellingham attended training sessions and tours of the facility, accompanied by his parents, The Athletic reported.
"During his stay, he impressed the staff," explains James Pierce, "not only because of his skills, but also because of his maturity."
Matt Newbury, who was Liverpool's youth scout at the time, had recommended Bellingham, and he was a recruiter for the youth academy at Birmingham, where the Reds could've paid just £9,000 for the now-reigning superstar.
Despite Liverpool's attempts to persuade the player and his family to move from the Midlands, they opted to stay there, rejecting Chelsea and Manchester City the same way.
Their decision, however has clearly paid off, with Bellingham entering the Birmingham first team at just 16, and joining Borussia Dortmund in a £30m deal in 2020 with the Midlands Blues retiring his jersey No.22 after impressing overwhelmingly for the club.