Eberechi Eze has completed his £16m move from QPR to Crystal Palace as his remarkable rise continues.
Bristol City were one of a number of clubs to turn down the chance to sign Eze in 2016 following his release from Millwall.
The forward, then aged 18, had a trial at the Robins after his release from the Den but he instead signed for QPR.
Eze also had trials at Sunderland and Swansea City during the same period with both clubs, like the Robins, opting against making the young attacker an offer.
Instead, he ended up at QPR after impressing the Loftus Road technical director Chris Ramsey.
After spending the 2017/18 season impressing on loan at Wycombe Wanderers in League Two, Eze soon made the step up to the first team at Loftus Road.
He was an ever-present for QPR last season, netting 14 goals in 46 Championship appearances to attract interest from a host of Premier League clubs.
The 22-year-old has now made the step up to the highest tier with Crystal Palace, moving in a deal that could rise to £19.5m with add-ons.
So what was it about Eze that saw the Robins, Swansea and Sunderland opt against signing him?
The Athletic report that clubs deemed him too much of a luxury player, with criticisms over his body language and calculated style.
Whilst those technical skills have paid dividends in QPR's first-team, it could be argued that his languid body language could be perceived as a lack of drive and motivation in a short-term trial, where players are expected to do everything they can to impress.
As those who have seen trialists in action in pre-season friendlies will testify, they are often guilty of tearing around the pitch and doing far too much in an attempt to showcase their talents.
Yet that is not Eze's game and his more laid-back, technical style may not have stood out in comparison.
In an interview with the Independent, Eze himself seemed to confirm this when discussing the multiple rejections he faced during this period.
He explained: "The reason was always that it didn’t look like my desire was there. The same thing again and again. All I could think was if you only you knew in my head how much I want this.
"It’s probably a bad thing but I didn’t think I needed to change.
"I probably should’ve tried to adapt, not play two different systems in one team, but I just wanted to get on the ball and enjoy myself."
