Former Chelsea coach Brendan Rodgers has revealed that the Blues almost signed Philippe Coutinho when the Brazilian star was just 14.
Coutinho impressed at Inter Milan and earned a move to the Premier League to join Rodgers at Liverpool but has seen his career hit a downward trajectory since leaving Anfield.
Failing to make a lasting impression at Barcelona, Coutinho then moved on loan to Bayern Munich but the Bundesliga giants are not keen on a permanent move.
As a result, Coutinho is on the market once again and he has been heavily linked with a return to English football - where Chelsea are reportedly among his suitors.
However, Rodgers, now manager of Leicester City, has revealed that Coutinho's career path could have been significantly different as the Blues pushed for his services as a young teen.
"Philippe was one I knew from my Chelsea days. We tried to get him to Chelsea when he was 14 but he had already committed to Inter Milan. So we talked about him in the summer and kept tabs on him," he told the The Beautiful Game Podcast.
"Then all of a sudden he became available. At 19 we thought 'Wow. Right let's get this boy in!'
"Most people would have probably looked at him and thought he's not for the Premier League. But what a talent. He intimidates people when he has the ball with his quality."
