Klopp rocked, as Tottenham take step towards hijacking Liverpool transfer after Arsenal walk away
Tottenham have emerged as a credible threat to hijack a Liverpool transfer in January, and why Arsenal are no longer in the race has been revealed.
The Reds overhauled their sub-par midfield over the summer, though there was always a sense the rebuild remained unfinished.
Liverpool had a club-record £110m bid for Moises Caicedo accepted by Brighton. However, the Ecuador destroyer only had eyes for Chelsea and when the Blues thundered in with a £115m bid, Stamford Bridge awaited.
Of Liverpool’s four new midfield signings, only Wataru Endo is a specialised holding midfielder. However, he’s also the lowest profile of the quartet and has generally been overlooked for selection in the league so far.
The end result has seen Alexis Mac Allister tasked with playing out of position in the deeper role. It’s something the Argentine can do, though won’t be what he or Jurgen Klopp had in mind at the time of his arrival.
To remedy the issue and add the finishing touches to the overhaul, a January move for Brazil international Andre has been heavily speculated.
Liverpool enquired into Andre’s signing in the off-season, though Andre had already agreed with Fluminense manager Fernando Diniz to remain at the club for the rest of 2023.
Fluminense had genuine ambitions of lifting their first ever Copa Libertadores title. Their dreams came true on Saturday when sinking Argentine giant Boca Juniors 2-1 in the final.
Recent talk of Liverpool forging an agreement on personal terms with Andre has since been quashed. Nonetheless, Liverpool are a confirmed admirer of Andre, as are Arsenal.
Andre future one to watch – Fabrizio Romano
When addressing Andre’s future prior to the Libertadores final, Fabrizio Romano told CaughtOffside: “Andre continues to impress at Fluminense as one of the most talented young players in Brazil, and we’ve heard a lot of rumours about Liverpool, Arsenal and other clubs.
“Liverpool had a busy summer rebuilding their midfield and there’s been speculation that they could still look to make more signings in that position in January.
“Liverpool keep tracking and following Andre, that’s for sure, he’s always been appreciated by people at the club including Jurgen Klopp.
“Still, until now, there is no update as the Copa Libertadores final is crucial for Andre and he didn’t want any distractions.
“This will be something to watch for the next months.”
But with the Libertadores final now in the books and Andre’s goal of lifting that trophy ticked off, a January exit will now come into focus.
Tottenham could hijack long-anticipated Liverpool move?
His contract with Fluminense reportedly contains a release clause worth €40m (approx. £34.6m).
As such, a January move could conceivably be straightforward for Liverpool. But according to Brazilian journalist Joao Brandao, Tottenham could crash the party.
Taking to X, the reporter claimed that Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham, Fulham and Liverpool all scouted Andre during Saturday’s showpiece final.
A move to the Gunners has practically been ruled out, however, with Brandao noting Arsenal don’t intend to sign a new midfielder in January.
Arsenal would seemingly be on Andre’s trail if still at Fluminense come the summer, though it looks highly unlikely he’ll still be in Brazil beyond January.
Tottenham’s presence as a genuine Premier League title challenger should ensure West Ham and Fulham are overlooked if the London clubs all act on their interest.
As such, the race could come down to Liverpool and Spurs and if both sides trigger the release clause, the decision on who to join will be the player’s to make.
A January transfer would be particularly important for Spurs who are set to lose Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr to international duty at the beginning of 2024.
Bissouma will represent Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Sarr will star for Senegal.
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