Imagine having the chance to sign Philippe Coutinho for just €2.5 million 10 years ago and watching the eye watering figure he'll go for now. That's exactly what happened to Real Madrid in 2008.
Whether it happens sometime between now and the end of January, and lord knows I hope it does, or in the summer it seems pretty obvious that eventually Philippe Coutinho will become one of the most expensive footballers of all time by signing for Barcelona.
He's come along way for the kid who was signed by Inter Milan as a teenager nearly a decade ago for a measly figure that wouldn't even buy you Neymar's little toe these days.
Things could have been a lot different. According to former Real Madrid technical director Miguel Angel Portugal, speaking to Marca, the club could have signed him back in 2008 but instead decided to sign another Brazilian, Alipio.
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"Coutinho had already marvelled with Vasco de Gama and was a name who had been mentioned at the club. All of the reports about him were favourable and looked promising to sign him and the decision was made to bring him to Real Madrid.
"Everything was going well and everything was perfect and it seemed that things were going to work out for everyone, but when I returned from Brazil I found a surprise waiting for me.
"The president Ramon Calderon told me that we had signed Alipio, a 16-year-old who they had watched with Rio Ave and who the scouts found to be a very interesting player.
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"For essentially the same price that Real paid for Alipio, they could have signed his compatriot instead. It is incredible but true."
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The midfielder would go back to Vasco on loan before moving to Inter full time but he only lasted three years at the San Siro, including a loan spell at Espanyol, before they sold him to Liverpool.
Alipio though had none of the success of his compatriot. He spent two years on the books at the Bernabeu, without making an appearance in the first team, before moving to Benfica.
Two years in Portugal were followed by two in Greece with AC Omonia and Apollon Smyrni F.C. before he eventually moved back to Brazil where he currently plays for second division Vila Nova.
At one point he was dubbed the 'new Cristiano Ronaldo' a sure fire way of a player failing in their career of course.
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Now Liverpool are going to be making a hell of a lot of profit on the player, a lot more than Inter managed.
Coutinho's career could have been so different, and so could Alipio's!
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Liverpool, Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho, Brazil, Real Madrid, Inter