The 18-year-old forward joined Real in the start of the 2018/19 season in a reported €46 million switch from Brazilian side Flamengo.
And in his debut campaign, he's been one of the bright sparks in an otherwise disappointing season - which looks set to end trophyless for Los Blancos.
His return of seven goals and 13 assists in 33 games across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt statistics, rank him as one of the most highly-rated teenagers in world football.
However, he's now revealed that LaLiga champions Barca, were the first team to approach him for his services, as soon as the local media hailed him as 'the next Neymar.'
"When I was 16/17 I was playing for the South American U-17s. My father never told me of interest [of other clubs] until Barcelona and Real Madrid came," he told Carreño, as per AS. "We then visited both clubs to choose the best project.
"Barcelona's offer came first, and they wanted pay more. Marcelo came to play when he was 18, Asensio was playing here... this helped us decide on Madrid."
The teenager further added that he never dreamed or even thought of representing the Blaugrana during his formative years.