Fluminense President Mario Bittencourt has given Liverpool the go-ahead to pursue a move for Andre Trindade in January.
This summer, the Merseyside outfit held talks with Fluminense over a deal to sign the 22-year-old as Jurgen Klopp looked to overhaul his midfield.
However, their approach was knocked back by the Brazilians as they didn’t want to lose a key player in the middle of their season while they are still competing in the Copa Libertadores.
Speaking to ESPN via O Globo (h/t Liverpool Echo), Bittencourt confirmed Liverpool’s executive director made contact for Andre but were told they won’t sell in the summer.
However, the Fluminense chief says negotiations could be revived in the winter window as they’ve agreed to sell the Brazilian international in 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,”
“In the case of Liverpool, I go even further. Liverpool’s executive director 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’.”
Andre is a product of Fluminense’s youth setup. Having made his way through the ranks at the Brazilian outfit, the midfielder made a place for himself in the senior squad in 2020.
Over the years, Andre has caught a lot of people’s attention. He has become a regular first-team member at Fluminense. The midfielder mostly plays in the number six position.
Midfield overhaul
James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita departed Liverpool at the end of June. Subsequently, Jurgen Klopp’s team signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool also sold Jordan Henderson and Fabinho this summer. As a result, the Reds had left themselves short in the engine room. However, the Merseysiders signed Wataru Endo from VfB Stuttgart while Ryan Gravenberch also made the switch to Anfield on deadline day.
Apart from the new quartet, Liverpool also have Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara in their ranks. However, the former Bayern Munich star is 32 and is expected to leave when his contract expires next summer.
Therefore, it would not be surprising to see Liverpool replace Thiago soon and Klopp could even bring in a replacement in January. The German boss clearly admires Andre and we could see Liverpool renew their interest in the South American this winter.
Reports in the summer claimed that Andre is valued at around £26m, so he wouldn’t break the bank either.
