Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has opened the door to a potential switch to the Premier League if he ever decides to leave Spain.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was keen on adding the Uruguay international to his squad during the summer transfer window but to no avail.
Klopp oversaw a significant midfield overhaul in the summer.
Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Fabinho left Anfield, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo joining the club.
The latter moved to Merseyside down the final stretch of the transfer window as an emergency signing after Chelsea inflicted a double transfer blow on Liverpool.
Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia were inches away from landing contracts at Anfield before suddenly deciding to continue their careers at Stamford Bridge.
Valverde was another option for Klopp, but it was never a realistic possibility for multiple reasons.
First and foremost, the 25-year-old wasn’t interested in leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.
As one of the club’s headline performers last season, he earned Carlo Ancelotti’s unlimited trust, with the Italian manager never considering his sale.
However, Valverde has refused to rule out the prospect of plying his trade in the Premier League in the future, albeit reiterating his happiness in Madrid.
“Premier League offers?” the Uruguayan told reporters after a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad, as quoted by the Daily Mirror. “I have the possibility of playing for Real.
“The day I don’t feel like that, I will probably look for another solution or Real itself will look for one for me.”
Valverde scored a crucial goal against Imanol Alguacil’s team on Sunday night, smashing home a thunderous strike from the edge of the box to initiate Madrid’s comeback.
His goal preserved Los Merengues’ 100% five-game record at the start of the new La Liga campaign.
While Valverde opened his account, his teammate Jude Bellingham fired a blank for the first time since teaming up with Madrid in the summer as Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro denied his late header.
