Former Real Madrid official reveals club were offered Lionel Messi in 2001: ‘We didn’t want to sever ties with Barcelona’

Former Real Madrid official reveals club were offered Lionel Messi in 2001: ‘We didn’t want to sever ties with Barcelona’ Real Madrid had an opportunity to sign Lionel Messi in 2001, before the Argentine superstar established himself at Barcelona, Miguel Angel Portugal, a former club official, has revealed. Portugal, who worked at the Santiago Bernabeu as a player, Castilla coach, scout and technical secretary, made the revelation during an interview with AS ahead of Real Madrid’s meeting with Racing Santander.  He recalled that someone close to Messi had offered the teenager to Los Blancos while his professional contract situation at Barcelona remained unresolved. Although the information reached the club and there was some contact, Real Madrid ultimately did not pursue the possibility, with Portugal suggesting that maintaining relations with their rivals was an important consideration. Messi was available before his Barcelona breakthrough Portugal revealed that the Argentine was not the only high-profile player monitored by Real Madrid during his time at the club.  He discussed the recruitment department’s interest in Neymar and Philippe Coutinho, while also stating that he had followed Toni Kroos and Luka Modric before they became household names in the sport. “We watched Neymar and Coutinho, and they were always on our radar. The reports must be lying around somewhere. We saw Kroos when he was 16, playing as an attacking midfielder.  Real Madrid were offered an opportunity to sign Lionel Messi. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) “I told him one day: ‘I’ve got reports on you somewhere!’ The same goes for Modric. When he started out, he was a bit frail, but he developed a lot in England; it did him a world of good.  “They were attacking midfielders, but as you develop, you end up playing in a deeper role. It happened to me too – I started out as a second striker. Well, or to Sergio Canales,” he explained. The former Real Madrid official also revealed that he had watched Robinho during the Copinha youth tournament in Brazil, when the forward was still a youngster.  Comparing the Brazilian’s qualities with those of current Madrid star Vinicius Junior, he said: “Yes, yes, in the Copinha when he was a lad. Just like so many others. His skill set was different from Vinicius’s, for example.  “Vinicius is all about taking on players, but Robinho was pure magic, pure skill.” However, it was his comments on Messi, who recently announced his international retirement , that were the highlight of the interview.  Real Madrid did not sign Messi out of respect for Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) According to Portugal, someone close to the Argentine approached Real Madrid in 2001, when the forward had yet to sign a professional contract with Barcelona. “There was a time when they could have snapped him up.  “He didn’t yet have a professional contract with Barça, he hadn’t quite finalised his renewal, and someone close to him offered him to Madrid,” he said. Lastly, Portugal acknowledged that he could not confirm whether the information was entirely accurate, but insisted that the possibility reached the club and that some contact took place. “I don’t know if it was true or not, but word reached the club that they could go after him. The opportunity was there.  “We didn’t want to sever ties with Barça, but there was indeed some contact. Although, out of respect, I don’t think it would have gone ahead,” he concluded.