PL club make £35m offer to sign player previously linked with a move to Liverpool - Reports
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Fulham have made a £35 million offer to sign Andre Trindade, who was previously linked with Liverpool.
Trindade, currently at Fluminense, has emerged as one of the top young defensive midfielders in the world. Winning the Copa Libertadores with his club last year has further helped Trindade boost his profile as a player.
According to Jacobs, Fulham have made an offer of £30 million plus £5 million in add-ons for Trindade. The Cottagers' CEO, Alistair Mackintosh reportedly attended the Copa Libertadores final and has already agreed on personal terms with Trindade. Fluminese beat Boca Juniors 2-1 in the final.
Since making his first team appearance in 2021, Trindade has made 170 appearances for Fluminense. He is also a four-time Brazil international, making his debut on June 20, 2023.
Clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United were also linked with Trindade. However, given the recent reports, he could be Fulham-bound.
Trindade, alongside Joao Palhinha, could form a formidable midfield partnership at Craven Cottage. However, Palhinha has been linked with a move away as well and came close to joining Bayern Munich last summer.
Fabrizio Romano says Liverpool are looking to sign a centre-back in January
Liverpool already boast a talent-rich backline, with Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, and Virgil van Dijk in their ranks. Van Dijk has arguably looked back to his best self this season after an underwhelming campaign last term.
However, Matip is currently sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and is set to miss the remainder of the campaign. When fit, Konate has been superb but the France international is injury-prone.
That has left Virgil van Dijk without a stable defensive partner. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Merseysiders have made contacts with agents to sign a central defender.
Romano, though, pointed out that getting top players in the market is difficult in January. He told Caught Offside:
“I don’t have any concrete name yet at this stage, but I was just told that Liverpool have made some calls to some centre-backs’ agents to be informed on situations – it hasn’t become a concrete negotiation as of now. It’s not easy to find top players in the January window, that’s the problem.”
Jurgen Klopp's side are currently leading the Premier League table with 45 points from 20 games. They are two points clear of defending champions Manchester City in second.
The Reds have been impressive defensively this term, conceding only 18 times in 20 league games. The season, though, now enters its business end, and having extra defensive backup can only enhance Klopp's team's title charge.