The Fluminense midfielder is “sold on a transfer to Anfield”.
Liverpool are now exploring a move for Fluminense midfielder Andre, who is “sold on a transfer to Anfield” this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy.
Who are Liverpool signing this summer?
Jurgen Klopp is currently pursuing midfield targets, having recently stated Liverpool do not have a “proven No 6” in their squad anymore, but he is struggling to get a deal for Romeo Lavia over the line, with two bids being knocked back by Southampton.
If the Saints do not drop their asking price of £50m, the Reds are willing to move on to other options, and they have considered a move for Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, as well as Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips.
The Merseysiders are also running the rule over some options from further afield, with Reddy now revealing they have been keeping tabs on Andre ever since his international breakthrough.
The Sky Sports reporter said: “The club’s interest in Andre started when he was capped by Brazil. Fluminense are reluctant to let Andre exit this summer, but the player is sold on a transfer to Anfield.
“A fee in the region of £20m has been mooted.
“Liverpool saw a fresh offer for Romeo Lavia rejected by Southampton on Tuesday and will continue to explore alternative options if there is no compromise on the Belgian’s £50m valuation.
“In an ideal situation, two new midfielders and a defender would be added to Jurgen Klopp’s squad before the close of the window.”
Reddy has since taken to Twitter to confirm that contact has been made with Fluminense to discuss a potential deal, saying:
“Dialogue open between Southampton and Liverpool over Romeo Lavia. He wants the move but compromise still needed over the fee. LFC working on other options. They are in talks with Fluminense for Andre. Clear the club are looking at two profiles: controller, progressive destroyer.”
How good is Andre?
The 22-year-old is very impressive in possession of the ball, averaging a pass-completion rate of 93.1% per 90 over the course of the past year, which places him in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers.
As such, the Brazilian clearly fits the bill as a “controller” in midfield, and he is also adept at driving the ball forward, ranking in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons, having averaged 1.69 per 90 for Fluminense in the last year.
With captain Jordan Henderson recently leaving to join Al-Ettifaq, Klopp may be keen to bring in players capable of filling the void left in the squad, and Andre could do exactly that, having been hailed as a “leader” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Considering he is only 22-years-old, the maestro already has a great deal of first-team experience, having made 145 appearances for Fluminense, although he may still take some time to adapt to the Premier League.
Lavia, on the other hand, has already proven himself in the top flight, making 29 outings for Southampton last season, and so the Belgian should remain Liverpool’s priority target.
However, multiple new additions are needed in midfield, so it would not be a surprise if both players are targeted in the final month of the transfer window.
