Ahead of their meeting with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Liverpool will reflect on a current Los Blancos’ star that could have been lining up for the Reds instead.

The Merseysiders have long been linked with a move for Marco Asensio, the most recent reports from Spain coming immediately after Jurgen Klopp’s men had lifted their club's sixth European title after a win against Tottenham Hotspur.

A move never came to fruition though and Michael Edwards will be relieved that it didn’t.

In the two seasons since those links, Asensio appears to have gone somewhat backwards in his career due to a combination of poor form and injury issues.

Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, he has made just 47 appearances for Real in all competitions, scoring just nine goals and providing three assists.

Considering that Asensio’s transfer rating hit a peak of £81m in 2018, those numbers are surely not befitting of a player so expensive, hence why he now sits at a valuation of £31.5m.

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For comparison, current Reds’ wideman Diogo Jota, who Liverpool ended up signing just a year after the links to the Spaniard, has netted 112 goals and set up one in just this season, suggesting that Liverpool were right to move on.

Despite that, it would certainly be harsh to assume that Asensio is not a talented player. After all, current Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane has highlighted his “quality”.

Indeed, a player does not go on to make a total of 182 appearances for Real Madrid if they do not possess something special.

Having made 26 appearances for his national side and scored just one goal though, he might not yet live up to the promise that his early career had suggested.

So, with Asensio’s Real Madrid heading to Anfield on Wednesday, the Reds will surely be somewhat relieved that they did not move for his signature in 2019.

AND in more news, read about a transfer mistake that Liverpool did end up making last season...