According to 90min transfer expert Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are leading the race to secure the signature of Fluminense midfielder Andre Trindade in the winter transfer window.
The Reds went through a huge transformation over the summer with not only a number of key players leaving the club – including club captain Jordan Henderson – but a whole host of fresh faces, especially in the centre of the pitch.
Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister all made the move to Anfield this summer to become part of the next generation of the midfield under Jurgen Klopp.
So far, it has been a huge success for the Merseyside giants with all four of the new additions settling it quickly and Szoboszlai, in particular, has been a huge breath of fresh air with his explosive approach and game-changing talents.
Having said that, Klopp is still clearly on the fence about what constitutes his best midfield three as he has been constantly rotating throughout the campaign so far as he endeavours to find the formula for success in the centre of the pitch.
Former VfL Stuttgart captain Endo has had his game time limited since his arrival on the red side of Merseyside, with the German coach using him much more sparingly than the other new additions, which gives the impression Klopp isn’t 100% sure about the Japan international’s capabilities as of yet.
Liverpool have been continuously linked with Fluminense star Andre Trindade – better known as Andre – however, after rumoured interest in the summer it was claimed that the South American side would not be willing to part ways with their budding talent until the Brazilian Serie A finished for 2023.
Now Graeme Bailey has been speaking on the 90min Talking Transfers podcast and has further added fuel to the flames that Liverpool will complete a deal to sign the defensive-minded midfielder this coming January:
“Many people think he’s the best defensive midfielder in the Brazilian top flight at the moment,” the journalist revealed.
“It’s our understanding that they [Liverpool] were in attendance for the Copa Libertadores semi-final [last week]. They would have been delighted for Andre to see that he helped inspire a 2-1 win over Internacional in the second-leg. It got them through to the final where they will play Boca Juniors.”
“He really is one on the agenda for January. And I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t leave Fluminense. Will it be to Liverpool? I think they’re first in the queue.”
“He’s definitely leaving Fluminense in January. And he may very well be turning up at Anfield.”
Our thoughts on Liverpool’s interest in Andre…
There is no doubt that Liverpool already boast a range of diverse and talented midfielders thanks to their huge investment into improving the roles in the heart of the squad over the summer.
Whilst there is a debate about who should be the relied upon starting three in midfield amongst the eight senior options available to Klopp, there is certainly room to bring in a player with a more defensive profile who can offer a strong deep-lying presence.
Andre has proven over the last 18 months that he is developing and growing to become one of the most consistent and trustworthy defensive midfielders in world football, and when you consider his output over the current Serie A campaign, it’s not hard to see why.
Over 20 appearances, the 22-year-old has tallied up on a 95% pass completion rate, successfully completed 70% of his dribbles and won 60% of his duels, as well as averaging a whopping 94.3 touches, 76.5 accurate passes, eight ball recoveries and 2.1 tackles per game, as per SofaScore.
Not only that, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has waxed lyrical about the Brazilian dynamo’s strengths, hailing him a “roaming playmaker”, who is “active & tenacious in the defensive phase”, as well as “press-resistant” with a “high football IQ & spatial awareness”.
With that being said, if Liverpool are presented with the opportunity to snap up the services of Andre in January it could be the linchpin in elevating their campaign to new heights over the second half of the season.
