Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez admits he could easily be playing for Real Madrid today.
Alvarez successfully trialled with Real Madrid as an 11 year-old, but red-tape prevented the Argentine from signing for Los Merengues.
He recalled: "I was playing in children's championships. I was 11 years old and until a few years later Real Madrid couldn't sign me permanently. To do this, my whole family had to move there, so I decided to return to Crdoba."
Real scout Piero Foglia also recalled to Infobae: "He was not signed to AFA (Argentine Football Association) and I dared to recommend him to a Real Madrid sports director because of a contact I had.
"Julin was up to the task. He played in a tournament and became champion... We had to wait until the 16 years old. If the same regulations had been in place as when Messi arrived at Barcelona, Julin lvarez would have been a Real Madrid footballer."