Liverpool might send scouts to Benfica to imitate the Sadio Mané succession plan.
Jürgen Klopp has one main goal in mind for the forthcoming summer transfer market. Above all, the German manager has to revamp Liverpool’s midfield by bringing in fresh talent to replace players who have been there for the majority of his tenure.
Jude Bellingham is a player that the Reds are interested in, and a number of other players have also been named, but in addition to fixing his engine room, Klopp also has a void that has to be filled. Joel Matip’s deal is up after the upcoming season, thus he might leave Anfield.
Liverpool will most certainly soon need to consider center-back options, which could explain the гᴜmогs that scouts have just been sent to Portugal. According to 90min, members of the Reds were present when António Silva and Florentino Luis of Benfica upset Famalicao last week.
The former is a midfielder, while the latter is a center-back who is projected to achieve great things as he continues to grow as a young player with a lot of promise.
At 1.87m tall and only 19 years old, modern defender Silva is the same height as Jordan Henderson. When the ball is in his possession, he plays with obvious ease and poise and displays a broad passing range when called upon to make more incisive passes up the field.
The Portuguese international has plenty of time to continue developing, even though it’s questionable whether he has the necessary speed to occupy Klopp’s high defensive line and daring offside trap. Despite his unanticipated ascent to fame as a gorgeous young actress, he is still far from the finished article.
Silva has started for Benfica this year in place of Jan Vertonghen, who left for Anderlecht in the summer. Darwin Nez was acquired by Liverpool from Benfica during the same transfer window after the Uruguayan striker excelled at the Stadium da Luz the previous season.
Another illustration of how the Portuguese juggernauts unearth gems on the transfer market would be Enzo Fernández. He was reportedly expected to head to Anfield throughout winter, according to three Portuguese news agencies, but Chelsea was able to acquire him in the closing moments of the transfer window for an absurd price.
Given that Liverpool is aware of Nez and Fernández, which suggests they are fully aware of Silva and his potential, Silva may very well end up on Merseyside soon. Due to his prior employment with Portugal’s football association, Julian Ward also has connections to that country.
Although Ward will unavoidably leave his role as Liverpool’s sports director this summer, he might find a solution to Liverpool’s center-back dilemma as a parting gift. In the same way as Nez was anticipated to succeed Sadio Mané, Silva may someday perceive Matip to be Matip’s replacement.
This summer, Liverpool will be at the center of a famous contract dispute with Borussia Dortmund player Jude Bellingham.
The Reds will likely have competition from Manchester City, Real Madrid, and possibly even Manchester United in their pursuit of the Englishman (via The Athletic).
Because Dortmund is asking for roughly $159 million (£134 million/€150 million), he has a chance to surpass Ronald Koeman as the most expensive player in Premier League history and the third-most expensive player overall in football history.
Liverpool appears to be considering making another high-profile acquisition, even if there are indications that the club may have trouble raising the necessary funds, especially without access to the Champions League.
The organization allegedly “explored” the “conditions” of a January transfer for RB Leipzig defender Joko Gvardiol, according to Fabrizio Romano.
One of the teams in a “open race” to sign the Croatian is Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola’s squad, who has been referred to as a “big fan” of the player. Chelsea, who missed out on the player last summer, iTagtill interested in signing him.
