According to Keylor Navas' agent Ricardo Cabanas, "Barcelona" did not take advantage of the opportunity to acquire this goalkeeper in 2008 simply because he is from Costa Rica.
The 30-year-old representative also revealed that at that time, while still playing for "Saprissa," he received a negative response from Madrid's "Atletico" and "Real" clubs.
However, Cabanas finally negotiated this player's transfer to "Albacete" in 2010, from where Navas moved to "Levante" a year later. Eventually, he ended up in the ranks of "Real."
"I arrived in Costa Rica in 2008, where I reviewed several videos given to me by Gabelo Conejo (former national team goalkeeper), and spent several weeks observing the national team's training sessions," Cabanas told Encuentro Deportivo.
"I watched a match between 'DC United' and 'Saprissa.' It was incredible and I thought, 'Who is this goalkeeper?' He impressed me."
"I provided detailed reports and videos to all of them (major Spanish clubs), but they all responded negatively to me."
"One of them (from Pep Guardiola's assistants) told me, 'He is a great goalkeeper, Ricardo, but no one is really going to sign a contract with a goalkeeper from Costa Rica. At least not any major club.'
It remains to be added that Navas played 86 matches in the ranks of Madrid's "Real" in the last two seasons and won the UEFA Champions League twice.
