‘Happy’ midfielder reacts to Liverpool rumours after rejecting Man Utd to ‘agree terms’ at Anfield
Fluminense midfielder Andre insists he is “happy” to receive offers from other clubs amid reported interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.
Jurgen Klopp is still on the lookout for another midfielder despite bringing in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo this summer.
Liverpool saw James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leave on free transfers at the end of June, while Jordan Henderson and Fabinho left for Saudi Arabia.
Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips have all been mooted as possible options, while a report earlier this week insisted that Liverpool had ‘agreed terms’ with Fluminense’s Andre after the Brazilian rejected Man Utd.
But ESPN brought news yesterday that the Reds have had a €30m (£26m) bid ‘rejected by the Brazilian club’ and the Premier League club ‘want Andre to join them before the transfer window closes’.
Fluminense ‘are reluctant to let the Brazil international leave before the end of their season’ with the report adding that the Brazilian club’s board have ‘informed Liverpool that even if they up the offer for Andre they would not allow to player to depart now’.
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And now Andre has had his say on the rumours linking him with a move to the Premier League with the Brazil international “focused 100 percent on Fluminense”.
Andre told Globo Esporte: “It is obvious that it is normal to receive offers. Even more so with the team doing well, getting through in the Copa Libertadores, near the top of the Brasileirao.
“Not just for me, but it must have gotten to others as well. I am happy for the proposals that arrive, but my mind today is focused 100 percent on Fluminense.”
Reliable Liverpool journalist Neil Jones has explained how Klopp and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke had to persuade the Reds board to sanction a move for new signing Endo earlier this month.
Jones wrote in his Caught Offside column: “It is fair to say that despite it being an open secret that Liverpool have been looking for a defensive midfielder, few of us expected them to land upon Wataru Endo as the man to replace Fabinho!
“Jurgen Klopp even admitted that Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners, needed a bit of persuading before signing the Japanese international, who at 30 years of age falls well outside of the Reds’ usual policy of targeting younger, up and coming players.
“Liverpool, we know, missed out on two those in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, and my understanding is that it was Klopp and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke who pushed for Endo’s signing, once it became clear that Caicedo and Lavia were heading for Chelsea.
“There is a lot of Bundesliga knowledge at Anfield, and there was also a feeling that the remaining options in the transfer market were either not good enough or too expensive – and in some cases both, hence Liverpool readjusting their sights and going after Endo.
“Clearly, it is not a move they would have made had Caicedo signed – I do wonder whether they might have signed Endo along with Lavia, however – or if either of Henderson or Fabinho had remained, but if he can do what he did at Stuttgart then he could prove a decent addition.
“His strengths – winning the ball, competing aerially, stopping counter-attacks and getting about the pitch – are what Liverpool need, and while his debut against Bournemouth was a tough one, there were at least a couple of flashes of what he might bring. He’s experienced, he’s captained his club and his country, and he should get plenty of chances to prove his worth this season.”
