When Rafael Camacho refused to sign a contract extension at Anfield in summer 2019, he obviously felt he was making the right decision at the time.
Despite catching the eye of Jurgen Klopp and making the matchday squad for eight Premier League games in a breakthrough, 2018/19 season, the versatile winger obviously felt a first-team role was beyond his reach at Anfield (Guardian).
And he may have had a point.
The reigning English champions certainly aren’t short of quality in their star-studded squad.
But when Camacho forced Liverpool’s hand, returning to Sporting in a £5 million deal after making it clear he had no interest in signing a new contract, the Lisbon-born youngster didn’t expect things to turn out like they have.
While Sporting are flying high in the Primeira Liga, top of the table and dreaming of their first domestic title since 2002, Camacho is nowhere to be seen.
The 20-year-old is stuck in the reserves and, with January just around the corner, his ill-fated return to the Portuguese capital is heading for an unsatisfactory conclusion.
As reported by Desporto, Camacho is one of a number of players placed on the transfer market, with Sporting coach Ruben Amorim making it clear they aren’t part of his plans.
However, Dinamo Zagreb are interested in offering the one-time Liverpool starlet a fresh start.
“We are working on the arrival of three players, Camacho is one of them,” Dinamo coach Zoran Mamic admitted to A Bola.
But it’s difficult to imagine that when he turned his back on one of Europe’s biggest clubs, a team that would conquer England just 12 months later, Camacho was dreaming of Croatia.
And the irony is that, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez injured, Camacho might have been favourite to start Saturday’s clash with top-of-the-table Leicester City.
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