Barcelona whiz Gavi could so easily have been running around in a Real Madrid shirt this season.
History could've been very different had he opted to choose Real Madrid or Atletico ahead of Barcelona, as all three of Spain's powerhouses sought to snap him up from a local academy in his native Andalusia.
His first coaches in Los Palacios, an Andalusian town where the likes of Fabian Ruiz and Jesus Navas were formed, mentioned that Gavi only wanted to join Barcelona.
"I know that [Real] Madrid and Atletico wanted him, but when he went to Barcelona he told his parents: 'Dad, the best [players] are here and I want to play here,'" Manuel Vasco told Sport.
"The kid was attracting interest from the big clubs from the beginning, [Real] Betis and Sevilla were the first to arrive here due to the proximity.
"Barcelona signed him in a tournament that took place in the Algarve, in which he was chosen as the best player and Barcelona took him.
"But before that, I think he was in Madrid with both teams, and they were watching him, and he was clear that, if he had to choose between the big clubs, he liked Barcelona more," he concluded.
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