Liverpool are reportedly considering reviving their prior interest in an Argentine midfielder who’s expected to leave his current club this summer.
In March 2023, it was reported that the Reds had dispatched scouts to South America to keep tabs on Alan Varela, then a 21-year-old prospect at Boca Juniors.
Now 24 and impressing in Europe for FC Porto, the defensive midfielder has been the subject of fresh speculation over his future.
Argentine journalist German Garcia Grova took to X to report that Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs who are ‘after’ Varela, who ‘would leave’ the newly-crowned Portuguese champions in the upcoming transfer window.
The midfielder’s contract at the Estadio do Dragao runs to June 2030.
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If Varela does end up at Anfield next season, the presence of an Argentine defensive midfielder in a Liverpool shirt in his mid-20s would have strong echoes of Mascherano, who was an integral presence in Rafael Benitez’s side which came close to winning the Premier League in 2008/09.
The 24-year-old’s statistics out of possession don’t actually compare all that favourably to positional peers in the Primeira Liga this term, but he more than makes up for that with his qualities on the ball, as evidenced by the figures below from Fotmob.
While Mascherano excelled with his reading of the game and his defensive work, he was also renowned for his intelligent passing, a quality that his compatriot at Porto has demonstrated in abundance.
Aside from the rarely-ued (and now 33-year-old) Wataru Endo, Liverpool haven’t had a natural number 6 in their first team since Fabinho’s departure three years ago, and that void in the squad has been all too apparent this season, with Arne Slot’s side ridiculously easy for opponents to play through.
Will the Anfield hierarchy go a step further than in 2023 and submit a concrete bid for Varela this summer? He’s now shown he can excel in Europe, so that might make FSG more inclined to test Porto’s resistence with an enticing proposal.
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Also get van hecka from Brighton miles better than konate
Get any midfielder who’s half as good as mascherano was and it will be improvement. The most important signing of this summer is a defensive midfielder who can protect the defence. Number one priority. The club has tried and failed to solve the problem in this position. Caicedo , Romio Lavia and zubimendi. Gravenberch is not a natural defensive midfielder, he’s better bringing the ball forward.
I think it will be three signings, right winger, defensive midfielder, centre back.
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