Real Madrid tried to sign Lionel Messi on three occasions between 2011 and 2014, according to information from Cadena COPE.

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They reported: “Madrid’s first attempt to sign Messi was in 2011. Los Blancos feared that Cristiano Ronaldo was going to leave the club due a huge offer from Manchester City.

“It was then that they began to look for a substitute for their star. Madrid used someone who doesn’t work for the club as an intermediary, but someone who has Florentino Perez’s maximum confidence.

“The response they received arrived quickly: ‘Thanks for the interest, but Leo is not moving.’”

Two years later, Real Madrid once again made a move for the Barça star, in the summer of 2013.

Ronaldo’s future was once again in the air. He had not signed a renewal and the big English clubs were once again on the scene.

In addition, Perez had suffered as Barça had managed to sign Neymar despite the interest from Madrid.

This time a high-ranking executive at the club forced a meeting, but the answer was once again the same as two years previously: “Thanks, but no.”

And there was a third time; a third meeting. A little more than a year ago. The same executive that called in 2013, called Messi again. The same procedure, the same characters and the same response: “Thanks, but no.”