Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United Were Interested In Signing Real Madrid's Akinlabi

Published: November 19, 2020

Neil Garnett, who coached Marvin Akinlabi at the Tranmere Rovers Academy, has revealed that several Premier League and Football League clubs were interested in signing the Spanish-Nigerian wonderkid during his time in England.

Akinlabi played for Ciutat de Palma in Spain before relocating to England alongside his parents at the age of nine.

The 2000-born winger and attacking midfielder started drawing transfer interest from top English clubs after helping Tranmere Rovers win the Keele tournament.

"His development was unreal. There was interest from Liverpool, Everton, Wigan, Blackburn and Manchester United," Garnett said in an interview with the BBC.

"If he had stayed in England, the big clubs would have come and got him."

Tranmere Rovers offered Akinlabi a contract until he was 16 in the hope of fending off interest from the top clubs but the player had to return to Spain due to a change in family circumstances.

The 20-year-old has gone on to flourish in Spain with Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Youth League in August 2020 and the following month he made his first team debut against Real Sociedad.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : realmadrid.com

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