24 August 2023 , 01:00
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Liverpool have seen a £25million bid for Fluminense midfielder Andre rejected and the Reds are now set to abandon their pursuit of the player.
It continues Jurgen Klopp’s frustrations in this transfer window, after his club agreed a £110million deal with Brighton to sign Moises Caicedo but the midfielder instead joined Chelsea, where Romeo Lavia also ended up despite prolonged interest from the Merseyside club.
Liverpool did complete the signing of Japan international captain Wataru Endo from Stuttgart but they are still light on midfield numbers after the exits of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in this transfer window – hence their interest in 22-year-old Andre.
While the Reds have also been linked to Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, those two players are also being monitored by other clubs – including Manchester United.
As outlined by ESPN, the reasoning that Fluminense outright rejected the talented Andre leaving this month was because they remain in the Copa Libertadores and see the midfielder as a fundamental part of their team. The Brazilian giants play Olimpia of Paraguay in the first leg of a knockout tie on Friday before completing the return game the following week.
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The report details that all parties are aware that the Reds will not reactivate their interest in Andre in January, even though Fluminense will be open to cashing-in on their star at that point. Liverpool will instead move onto other targets – with Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips one option over whom they are currently considering an approach.
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Andre has emerged as a star for Fluminense in recent seasons (Getty Images)Andre has made more than 100 appearances for Fluminense and won his first senior cap for Brazil earlier this year. The Brazilian football season runs throughout British summertime, hence why the Copa Libertadores is taking place now and why South American clubs are often more open to sales during the winter.
Andre is a right-footed defensive midfielder who is admired for his tactical understanding, robustness and technical ability. He is viewed as the star of the Fluminense side, for whom he came through their youth ranks – and is now a part of the furniture at international level for Brazil.
The Reds had thought a pursuit of the Brazilian was worthwhile as the midfielder’s agent is Jorge Mendes, whose agency also represents Liverpool duo Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota. However, there is an awareness at Anfield that one more midfielder is required in this transfer window.
However, this latest development represents a further setback for Klopp and his squad planning for this campaign – meaning that they once again need to change their transfer strategy late in the transfer window.