Jeremy Doku has explained the lengths Liverpool went to to try and convince him to sign for the club.
The 18-year-old is one of the rising stars in world football, and is currently plying his trade for Rennes after signing for the club from Anderlecht in the summer in a deal worth £23million.
He also made his first outing for Roberto Martinez’s Belgium during the international break back in September.
The forward was believed to be being tracked by the Reds, Chelsea and Arsenal, but snubbed the Premier League trio to follow the career route he had set for himself.
"I was going to be 16 and that was the age you can sign a pro contract. A lot of teams came to see me," Doku told Ouest-France.
"Everyone talks about Liverpool because it was the most concrete interest but there was also Arsenal and Chelsea."
And on Liverpool’s interest, Doku has opened up on how the reigning Premier League champions used stars past and present to try and convince him to sign for the club.
He said: “I was able to discuss with Jurgen, Mane, [Georginio] Wijnaldum… Gerrard too. I talked a lot with Mane but we didn't really talk about football.
“We talked about everything. He told me that I was young, that I still had time, he wasn't trying to convince me or to say to me 'come here, you will succeed'."
Before Doku continued on why he chose Renne: "I preferred to be careful. I knew what my trajectory had to be. That’s why, at 15, I told myself it had become serious, because I’d seen my career.
“I know what route I needed to take and I knew at that moment I needed to stay at Anderlecht."
