Liverpool are believed to be interested in completing the signing of Fluminense midfielder Andre this summer, according to various reports.
It is still apparent that the Reds need to bolster their midfield options, having already lost Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain since the end of last season.
While Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have come in from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively, at least one more signing in the middle of the park is needed, if not two.
Romeo Lavia has emerged as a main target for Liverpool, with a second bid for him now rejected by Southampton, and it would be a surprise if an offer wasn’t eventually accepted.
It looks as though another midfielder is also on the Reds’ radar, according to Sky Sports journalist Melissa Reddy, who took to Twitter to reveal Liverpool’s interest in the Brazilian:
“Liverpool have tabled an improved bid for Romeo Lavia, but are concurrently exploring a deal for other options – Andre of Fluminense among them – if Southampton’s valuation remains excessive. New offer closer to asking price but still below an initial £40m (without add-ons).”
Our thoughts on Liverpool’s possible move for Andre this summer…
Andre certainly isn’t a household name currently, but he could be seen as another exciting young option to shine in the No.6 role, especially as he is three years older than Lavia, providing more experience in the process.
The 22-year-old has won one cap for Brazil to date, which outlines his pedigree, considering some of the midfield talent in the South American giants’ ranks, and he has now racked up 144 appearances for Fluminense.
Granted, Andre hasn’t tasted European football yet in his career, meaning he could take time to adjust to his new surroundings, but Jurgen Klopp has to be trusted in the transfer market, should he and new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke believe he is the right man to come in and fill the void left by Fabinho.
Andre’s quality in possession is highlighted by the fact he has completed 93.7% of his passes across 14 Brasileirao appearances this season and also averaged 2.1 tackles per game in the competition. It will be intriguing to see if anything further develops.
