Before Federico Valverde became a superstar at Real Madrid, the Uruguayan playmaker was left delighted by the "tremendous" news that Arsenal were interested in his services.
After breaking through at Penarol as a teenager, Valverde was being courted by a host of Europe's top clubs well before he landed his big break at the Bernabeu. And it was Arsenal, then managed by Arsene Wenger, who made the first move for the prodigious midfielder back in 2014 following a recommendation from Francis Cagigao.
That interest even led to Valverde being invited to the club's London Colney base to train alongside the first-team - an opportunity that left the youngster buzzing with excitement.
In a now deleted tweet, Valverde shared the news enthusiastically, posting: "Very happy for everything and what could be nicer than saying goodbye to the year with tremendous news, that you are traveling to an invitation to Arsenal in England."
Arsenal's interest in the teenager was so strong, that a recent report from AS claimed that the club had even 'shaken hands' on a deal for Valverde after agreeing terms with the youngster's representatives.
However, the Londoners cooled their interest and ultimately decided against firming up their interest in Valverde with a concrete bid - a stance that has since come back to bite them.
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Valverde went on to bag seven goals for Uruguay in the South American U17 Championship shortly after Arsenal pulled the plug on a potential move - a stance that allowed Real Madrid to pinch the highly-rated playmaker for a pittance.
Arsenal did attempt to rekindle their interest in Valverde, but their attempts to fend off interest from Los Blancos were futile.
Naturally, Valverde has come a long way since he was invited to the capital to rub shoulders with Arsenal's elite and is now one of Europe's most decorated midfielders. The 24-year-old was influential in Real's Champions League success last term; a triumph that saw them claim an unprecedented 14th European crown.
Valverde has also achieved domestic success during his stint at the Bernabeu, winning two La Liga titles. And the playmaker has done more than enough during his 150 games for the Spanish giants to attract admiring glances from the Premier League once again.
Liverpool are known to be avid admirers of Valverde, who was mooted as a potential solution to the injury crisis that saw Jurgen Klopp left with a dearth of midfield options last month.
However, Real Madrid would have been unlikely to entertain the idea of selling the star, who was heavily linked with an £85million switch to Anfield on deadline day.
With Valverde capable of playing alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, Los Blancos now boast a midfield trio who will be the envy of most of Europe - but perhaps none will be as envious as Arsenal.
