Liverpool's Harvey Elliott refused to meet Sergio Ramos when Real Madrid tried to sign him | OneFootball

Harvey Elliott refused to meet Sergio Ramos when Real Madrid were trying to sign him in 2019.

European heavyweights Liverpool and Real Madrid will meet once again in the Champions League last-16. The first leg takes place at Anfield on Tuesday.

While the two clubs have an incredible history in the competition, they're also developing something of a rivalry in recent years.

That rivalry began back in 2018 in Kyiv.

In the Champions League final, Real Madrid ran out 3-1 winners against Klopp's Liverpool thanks to two Gareth Bale strikes - and two mistakes from Loris Karius.

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While Real won the Champions League night, it may well have cost them the signing of Elliott.

Elliott was in the stands of the Olimpiyskiy Stadium that night and watched on as Mohamed Salah had to go off early after being hauled down by Ramos' dark arts.

Real Madrid tried signing Harvey Elliott

A year later, Elliott was one of the hottest prospects in European football having burst onto the scene at Fulham.

And one of the club interested in signing him was Real Madrid.

They invited Elliott to Spain and showed him around the training ground. And they thought getting Elliott to meet club captain, Ramos, would be the perfect way to help persuade him that the Bernabeu was the perfect destination for him.

However, in a story told by The Athletic, it didn't quite go to plan.

Elliott refused to meet Sergio Ramos

“There was a tour of the Bernabeu and their training ground complex as they sought to convince the youngest player to play in the Premier League to move to the Spanish capital last summer,” the report reads.

“When they reached Sergio Ramos’ shirt, hanging up on the wall, Real’s charm offensive included an offer to arrange for the talented teenager to meet their long-serving captain.

“‘No, it’s OK, thanks,’ Elliott replied. ‘I don’t like him after what he did to Mo Salah.’”

Wow.

Imagine what Real Madrid thought at the time...

Unsurprisingly, Elliott jumped at the chance to sign for Liverpool when they swooped in.

Elliott was seeking revenge last season

Both Elliott and Salah had the perfect opportunity to get one over Real Madrid last season when they met once again in the Champions League final.

Speaking ahead of that match, Elliott admitted that he was seeking 'revenge.'

“For myself, it’s my own revenge. I want to take that upset and disappointment as a fan and make sure I put it right at the weekend if I’m needed," he said.

“It's going to be a crazy experience to be able to say I've been there as a fan and then as a player and hopefully get a chance to play. We'll see. I'm just so excited, and hopefully we can put it right.”

"Sitting there in the stands and watching Liverpool play in the final, celebrating getting there as a fan and the disappointment of not winning, to think the year after I’m signing for Liverpool, I never thought that would happen.”

Unfortunately for Elliott, Salah and Liverpool, Real Madrid triumphed once again.

And while the Reds face another tough task to beat the European champions over two legs, there can be no doubting Elliott's motivation.