Neil Jones has said that Liverpool ‘are looking at’ a potential move for Fluminense midfielder Andre Trindade, either this month or ahead of the January transfer window.
The Reds have been linked with the 22-year-old over the past couple of weeks, and he could possibly be snapped up for a modest £17m from the Brazilian club (Pedro Sepulveda).
Along with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, he’s been at the forefront of the Anfield rumour mill in recent days, and a crucial fixture for his side over the next 48 hours could have a significant bearing on his immediate future.
Speaking exclusively to Empire of the Kop’s Substack, Jones said: “Andre is certainly a player that Liverpool are looking at, and if Fluminense were to go out of the Copa Libertadores this week then that could be a situation that moves.
“He’s a different kind of player to Lavia, but one that has attributes that Liverpool like – namely, a bit of bite and a strong mentality. I could see that becoming an option in the coming weeks, or maybe a deal being set up for January.”
It had been reported by ESPN Brazil last week that Fluminense’s stance on whether or not Andre would be for sale this month could depend on the outcome of their Copa Libertadores round of 16 clash against Argentinos Juniors on Tuesday night, with the tie level at 1-1 after the first leg.
Should the Brazilian club progress, it’s probable that they’d be all the more determined to keep hold of a player who could be pivotal to their hopes of winning the tournament.
As per FBref, he ranks in the 53rd percentile of midfielders in ‘Men’s Next 8 Competitions’ over the past year for tackles per game, which on first glance mightn’t make him seem like the most industrious of engine room operators to offer ‘bite’ in that area of the pitch.
However, as noted in a scout report for Breaking The Lines, ‘his ability to tackle opponents rarely relies on him having to go to ground’ due to his awareness of how to position his body so that he doesn’t let opponents past him easily.
While Jones is confident that a prospective third bid from Liverpool for Lavia could convince Southampton to sell, at just £17m it’d seem silly not to at least test the waters with Fluminense for Andre, especially if their Copa Libertadores bubble is burst tomorrow night.
Mohamed Salah next to Saudi? Liverpool star’s agent reacts to claims forward has been offered insane €180m contract by Al-Ittihad
The agent of Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has reacted to talk of the Egypt international receiving a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia.
WHAT HAPPENED? Plenty of top talent has left European football for the Middle East in 2023, with a trend started by Cristiano Ronaldo being followed by the likes of Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez. There has been reports of Salah now registering on Saudi recruitment radars, with Al-Riyadiah claiming that the 31-year-old forward has been presented with a contract offer from Al-Ittihad worth €180 million (£155m/$198m). Salah did, however, only sign a new three-year contract at Anfield in 2022.
WHAT THEY SAID: As a result, his representative – Ramy Abbas – has tweeted: “If we considered leaving Liverpool this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract at the club last summer. Mohamed remains committed to Liverpool”.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: That will be music to the ears of those on the red half of Merseyside, with Salah having been a talismanic presence for Liverpool across his six years at Liverpool.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Salah – who is a three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner – has registered 186 goals for Liverpool through 305 appearances, breaking countless records along the way and helping Jurgen Klopp’s side to seven trophy triumphs.
‘Incredible’ player not in his first team squad last night, after claims Liverpool are about to bid
Andre Trindade was absent from Fluminense’s squad last night amid growing reports that Liverpool are interested in signing the midfielder.
The 22-year-old was not part of the Brazilian side’s squad yesterday as Fluminense took on Palmeiras in league action as reports continue to mount that Andre is heading to the Premier League this summer with Liverpool.
Despite the coincidence, the real reason Andre was absent was due to the midfielder picking up a yellow card suspension in Fluminense’s last match against league rivals Santos.
As reported by Netflu, the Brazilian side are internally aware that Liverpool could soon make a bid to sign Andre, with the Reds keen to bring in at least two midfielders before the closure of the window.
Lauded as ‘incredible’ by A Bola, the 22-year-old would be an exciting addition to Liverpool’s ranks, with Andre considered one of the best midfielders in all of South America.
Indeed, whilst Andre’s absence last night is not linked to anything transfer related, missing one game could have helped Liverpool make some progress in a deal to sign the youngster from the Brazilian side.