Liverpool made a January offer for Villarreal star Samuel Chukwueze, it has been revealed.

France Football says the Reds offered €35m to sign the Nigerian, but the LaLiga Santander club turned their bid down.

Villarreal considered the offer too low for Chukwueze, whose buyout clause is set at around €100m.

Despite being just 20 years old, the forward has played more than 60 official matches for the Yellow Submarine.

The French outlet also revealed that Chukwueze was Lionel Messi's third choice in his vote for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best player under the age of 21.

Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt won the prize, with the Villarreal youngster finishing ninth.