Liverpool given green light to sign Man Utd target as club chief reveals transfer ‘agreement’

Lewis Oldham 07 Sep 2023 10:30 AM

Liverpool transfer target Andre — Andre was a summer transfer target for Liverpool.

According to Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt, Premier League giants Liverpool have been in “direct” contact over signing 22-year-old Andre.

Liverpool were focused on rebuilding their midfield during the summer transfer window. They ended up spending £150m to bring in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.

Gravenberch was their final summer signing as he joined Liverpool on deadline day from Bayern Munich.

Before this transfer was completed, the Reds were being heavily linked with Fluminense defensive midfielder Andre. It was even claimed that the youngster snubbed Manchester United to ‘agree terms’ with Liverpool.

Liverpool reportedly had a bid rejected for Andre before the English transfer window closed but according to The Sun, they ‘would not go beyond £30m’ for him.

It is often the case that deals involving Brazilian players heading to the Premier League do not get completed until the winter transfer window. This is seemingly the case with Andre as Fluminense are unwilling to let him leave before this year’s Copa Libertadores finishes in November.

Bittencourt has now revealed that the club have an “agreement” with Andre that will see him “stay until the end of the year” but the Fluminense chief has encouraged talks with Liverpool in December or January.

“There is an agreement between us, with the player and representative, that he would stay until the end of the year and they comply fully and with the utmost tranquillity,” Bittencourt told ESPN.

“What they have done is the work as a representative of the athlete that is: all the polling that arrives they communicate to Fluminense.

“In the case of Liverpool, I go even further. Liverpool’s Chief Executive contacted me directly. And I replied to him, ‘My friend, I don’t sell players now and I don’t deliver now.’

“If you want to buy now to take in January we can start talking, or if you want to wait until December and we talk in December.”

Before Liverpool signed Gravenberch on deadline day, journalist Neil Jones indicated that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Premier League giants moved for Andre in January.

“There’s also Andre of Fluminense, and I’d not be surprised if we saw a deal for him lined up, maybe for January, once the South American season is done and dusted. Whether they would sign him AND another midfield player, though, I’m not as sure.

“Personally, I believe a defender is a necessity for Liverpool in this window, but that looks less and less likely at the moment.”

Liverpool Andre