Barcelona and Manchester City enter race to sign Arsenal and Manchester United linked star: Reports
Manchester City and Barcelona have reportedly (via Sportsmole) joined Arsenal and Manchester United in pursuit of Fluminense midfielder Andre.
The 22-year-old has played a staggering 60 games across competitions in 2023 and is reportedly being chased by a host of European clubs this season.
Andre has previously expressed his desire to play in the Premier League one day. He told Premier League Brasil:
"I watch the Premier League and it's a big dream to play there one day. I'm focused on finishing the season at Fluminense and realising my dream of winning the Club World Cup. But my dream is clear, to be a Premier League player."
Andre is a natural number six but can also play as a box-to-box midfielder, depending on the needs of the team. He has registered four goals and three assists in 170 games for Fluminense.
Liverpool and Fulham are also said to be interested in the player, with the latter reportedly leading the race. The Cottagers are reportedly preparing for life without Joao Palhinha, who is a hot property now in European football and could look at Andre as a potential replacement for the Portugal international.
Manchester City, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United - A look at where Andre can fit in at each of these clubs
City have Rodri, Kalvin Philips, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes as the senior starting midfielders in their ranks. However, besides Rodri, the other three have struggled to dominate in the deep-lying midfield position. Andre could prove to be a great understudy for Rodri if City sign the young midfielder.
Barcelona have Oriol Romeu (32) and Ilkay Gundogan (33) as the two number-six midfielders with Frenkie de Jong being deployed higher up on the pitch. With both Romeu and Gundogan in their 30s, Andre can become a key player for Barca and is likely to get a good amount of minutes on the pitch if he can prove his worth at Nou Camp.
Arsenal have Declan Rice, Mohamed Elneny, Jorginho and Thomas Partey as their senior defensive midfielders. Jorginho, Partey and Elneny are all reportedly considered to be squad players who will be moved out sooner rather than later. This means Andre can be a part of the new-look Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, who is building a young squad at the Emirates.
Manchester United signed Casemiro last season but could look to move him on soon enough given his recent performances, injury issues and age (31). Their other defensive midfielder Scott McTominay is better deployed as a box-to-box player while young Kobbie Mainoo needs more time to develop without the pressure of being the main man. In such a situation, Andre can be a good fit, given his profile.