Liverpool star snubbed Real Madrid icon after controversial Mo Salah incident

Harvey Elliott once snubbed a meeting with former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos due to his cynical challenge on Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s 2018 Champions League final defeat. Elliott watched from the sidelines as Arne Slot’s side taught the Champions League holders a footballing lesson, overcoming the European titans 2-0 at Anfield on November 28. 

Before donning the red jersey in 2019, Elliott was also a coveted target for the Spanish powerhouses. With his prodigious talent drawing global attention, Real Madrid deployed all their charms to lure the Premier League’s then youngest ever player to the Bernabeu.

In their ambitious pursuit, Los Blancos tasked Ramos with convincing the promising England U21 international to join their ranks. However, Elliott, a boyhood Liverpool fan, could not look past the 2018 Champions League incident where Ramos notoriously injured Salah.

When asked if the rumour was true in a 2020 interview with the Athletic, Elliott said: “Yeah, that’s true. I turned it down because of what he did to Mo [Salah].”

Elliott sealed his £4.3 million move to Liverpool in 2019, after the Reds and Fulham agreed a fee through the Professional Football Compensation Committee. He has since clocked up 120 appearances for Liverpool, tallying 10 goals and 14 assists.

Struggling with injuries this season, the England U21 star hasn’t managed to leave his mark under manager Arne Slot just yet, due to a broken foot earlier in the season. Although he secured a spot on the bench against Ancelotti’s team, he remained an unused substitute as Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners.

While Elliott could have been donning Madrid’s renowned white kit at Anfield, his affinity for Liverpool was too great.

In a candid chat with the Athletic in 2020, Elliott said: “As a little kid, I just remember the buzz of walking up the steps inside the stand at Anfield, seeing the lights and the players warming up – what a sight. My heroes were Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.

“I loved watching them. My dad was a big fan of Fernando Torres and we had a big poster of him in the house. Me and my dad always tried to do as many away games as possible.

“We had to tell a few lies to the school and my mum along the way! ‘Make sure you get a nice hotel,’ she would say. The place where we stayed in Kiev in this rundown block of flats was horrendous.

“But that’s part of the fun of being a football fan: following your team wherever they go and the experiences you share with your friends and family. The result wasn’t great but the trip itself to Kiev was brilliant.”