Firmino reveals why he turned down an offer from Real Madrid
Former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino explained why he had previously turned down the opportunity to join Real Madrid.
Roberto Firmino, attaquant brésilien
The Brazilian had been approached by the Madrid club before ultimately choosing to sign with Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. Looking back on that episode, the 34-year-old striker admits that several factors influenced his decision, notably that he was not among Real’s priorities.
Questioned by TNT Sports Brasil, Firmino recounted, quoted by Madrid Universal: “To be honest, there was indeed interest from Real Madrid. My agent had told me about it, and it was still recent, but not at the time when I received the offer from Saudi Arabia. At the time, Madrid was really interested, but many things were taken into account.”
“I wasn’t the first or even the second choice. I would have had to wait a long time. Not that I’m impatient, but you’d have to be patient, you understand? Then the offer from Al-Ahli came, and I prayed, I thought about whether it was the right decision. That’s how it happened“, he explained. Firmino had left Liverpool on a free transfer in 2023 to join the Saudi club.