Liverpool are looking to reinforce their midfield by signing Fluminense player Andre Trindade
With only four days until the start of the Premier League season away at Chelsea, Liverpool’s long-awaited midfield makeover remains far from complete.
The Reds signed Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai before the start of preseason, but their ambitions to strengthen further have been thwarted by the sudden exits of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson. Liverpool have been without a senior holding midfielder since Southampton rejected three bids for Romeo Lavia.
After losing the services of James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Juventus loanee Arthur Melo at the end of last season, as well as Fabio Carvalho to RB Leipzig on loan, it remains to be seen whether the Reds will pursue a fourth new midfielder this summer.
Liverpool are exploring alternate targets after being put off by Southampton’s £50m asking price for Lavia, despite their repeated attempts to recruit the Belgian. Andre Trindade of Fluminense is one such talent, with the Reds showing serious interest in the Brazil international.
However, Liverpool have yet to follow through on their original interest in the 22-year-old. Regardless, the Reds’ chances of landing the Brazilian have been harmed, amid reports of a potential £21.5 million bid.
The Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A is a calendar-year league, with the 2023 season beginning in April and ending in December. As a result, Brazilian rumors have always speculated that Fluminense would be hesitant to sanction Andre’s mid-season departure.
However, ESPN Brasil suggested that the midfielder’s future may be determined by his team’s performance in the Copa Libertadores. They said that his future would be decided after the second leg of their round-of-16 encounter against Argentinos Juniors on Tuesday, August 8th.
If Fluminense had been eliminated, it was reported that they would have been willing to sell Andre this summer. If they advance beyond Argentinos Juniors, they will want to keep his services until the end of the Brazilian season.
After drawing 1-1 in Buenos Aires on August 1, Andre played the entire 90-minute second leg as Fluminense won 2-0 on Tuesday to advance to the quarter-finals. They will now face either local rivals Flamengo or Paraguayan side Club Olimpia, with the Brazilians leading 1-0 after the first leg in Asuncion on Thursday night.
While those developments, according to Brazilian media, should keep the 22-year-old in Fluminense for the time being, the midfielder could yet leave before the European transfer market ends on September 1.
The Copa Libertadores quarter-finals will be held between August 22 and August 31, with the first legs scheduled for August 22-24 and the second legs scheduled for August 29-31. As a result, if Andre’s future is indeed dependent on Fluminense’s place in the South American Champions League, he may be allowed to leave at the end of the month.
If Fluminense exits the tournament between August 29 and 31, Liverpool will be in a race against the clock to complete a move if they opt to pursue Andre.
Of course, by then, the Reds may have signed one, if not two, more midfielders. However, if they are still looking for new players at the end of the month, the door to sign Andre remains marginally open. It might be a hectic deadline day at Anfield.
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