Cavani came close to joining Real Madrid... and playing with the reserves!

His spat with Neymar Jr over a penatly kick exacerbated the rumours of Edinson Cavani's exit from the French giants. Among a host of possible destinations, which included top English clubs, was Real Madrid. Several Premier League outfits are still keen on getting their hands on the 30-year-old, while the 'Blancos' no longer see him as a target.

But Cavani and Real Madrid go way back, as revealed in his biography written by Romain Molina. The player's agent Alexis Papasan disclosed the fact that Cavani almost joined Madrid's reserves squad (Real Madrid Castilla) in January 2007.

At the time in charge of Castilla, Michel offered the striker the chance to play for the reserves for six months before breaking into the first team. However, Madrid opted for a young Gonzalo Higuain and Cavani joined Serie A side Palermo, where he began his successful stint in Italy before moving on to France.

"When I get off the plane, I get a call from Michel, the manager of Real Madrid's reserves team, Castilla. 'Cavani, do you think he can start with Castilla and six months later join Real Madrid? I want him very much', Molina revealed in his book.