Firmino: Real Madrid Wanted to Sign Me But Asked for a Long Wait

Al-Sadd striker Roberto Firmino has revealed that Spanish giants Real Madrid were interested in signing him before his move to the Saudi League, confirming he ultimately rejected the offer from the Royal Club.

Real Madrid had shown interest in signing Firmino in 2023, as his contract with Liverpool was nearing its end. However, the Brazilian forward ultimately decided not to accept the offer. Speaking to "TNT Sports Brazil," Firmino stated: "To be honest, yes, there was interest, and my agent informed me of it. This was before the offer to move to Saudi Arabia emerged."

He added: "At that time, there was genuine interest from Madrid, and they asked me to wait because they were monitoring other players. I wasn't the first or second option, so I had to wait a long time. It's not that I ran out of patience, but I had to wait."

It is worth noting that Firmino, 34, moved to Al-Ahli Saudi in the summer of 2023, playing two seasons with them before signing for Qatari club Al-Sadd during the last summer transfer window.