Liverpool are interested in Fluminense star Andre Trindade, who would arrive for a relatively modest price compared to some midfielders in Europe.
Liverpool might complete a key second deal with the arrival of a clever £20 million midfielder.
Fenway Sports Group expressed an interest in becoming involved with Brazilian football a few years ago.
Liverpool might complete a key second deal with the arrival of a clever £20 million midfielder.
A shift in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, Brazil’s top-tier men’s football competition, piqued the interest of investors, including a slew from the United States, with Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor acquiring Botafogo and Genoa, Standard Liege, and Red Star FC owners 777 Partners, who were in talks over an Everton takeover earlier this year, acquiring Vasco da Gama.
Several Brazilian clubs have changed hands in the last 18 months or so, notably the recent purchase of Bahia by City Football Group, the parent business of Manchester City, in May.
The main reason for the renewed interest in the Brazilian domestic market is that it is changing, and in a country where the beautiful game is the national sport and receives fervent support in a country with a population of more than 215 million people, investors believe there is enormous scope for growth, especially with the revamping of the domestic game.
A number of Brazilian clubs are changing the way they are governed, which has opened up opportunities for outside investment. With the need to find funds to deal with the impact of the pandemic, some clubs are now switching from a non-profit entity to a corporate one in a bid to restructure their finances, forming a ‘Sociedade Anônima’ (SA). That has alerted would-be investors.
In the end, FSG did not enter the Brazilian market. The Liverpool owners have ambitions for future expansion and club expansion, but those plans are expected to focus on the North American market, most notably on an NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas. While the Reds are the most valuable asset in FSG’s £10 billion-plus company, and the owners are unlikely to sell the club given its predicted ongoing upward trend in value,The danger associated with football through promotion, relegation, and missing out on competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, along with the Wild West nature of the transfer market and payroll, has caused them to shy away from pursuing a multi-club platform.
Part of the appeal of a multi-club portfolio, which has become a popular way for US backers to invest in Europe, is not only the potential for significant revenue from a string of successful teams, but also the ability to create synergy across those clubs by having one club at the top of the structure. One club that could benefit the most from talent gained through the network. Man City has had considerable success exporting young players to CFG-owned clubs like Bahia, Troyes, and Lommel SK.
Finding elite talent ahead of the competition in South America may be a lucrative business. Getting a fair bargain on a transfer is really difficult right now. Clubs understand the value of their players and are eager to play hardball no matter who comes calling. The willingness of some to spend big, such as Chelsea in the last year, and the emergence of the super-rich Saudi Arabian Pro League as a potential new and lucrative destination have resulted in higher transfer prices and pay demands. The market has reached nearly obscene proportions, and it is getting increasingly difficult to make the numbers work when recruiting elite talent while simultaneously developing a business financially to support the never-ending need for manpower.
Liverpool remain interested in acquiring Romeo Lavia. But having seen two bids rejected and the midfielder’s club Southampton holding out for £50m for a player who has less than 30 Premier League appearances to his name, the Reds are now exploring other options.
One of those options is Andre Trindade from Brazilian club Fluminense, who haves seen a number of their young talents hoovered up by European clubs over the past couple of years. Andre, as he is known, picked up his first Brazil cap earlier this year and has racked up more than 100 appearances for the Tricolor.
The 22-year-old has been linked with AC Milan and is wanted by a number of prominent European clubs. However, Liverpool look to have taken the initial move to try to reach an agreement, with various sources claiming that they have initiated talks with Fluminense on a deal worth around £20 million. In the European market, that number doesn’t go as far as it formerly did, especially for a player of Andre’s age and profile.
The Brazilian league is possibly one of the few significant worldwide leagues where value can still be found, with the perceived risk of moving to European football putting a ceiling on price.
Portugal was one market where value was seen in previous years, with clubs like Benfica, Porto, and Sporting all having success in luring talent from South America, including the likes of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, and providing them with a platform in a strong European league where participation in the Champions League and Europa League allows players to test themselves against the best the continent has to offer. However, in recent years, Portuguese clubs have realized that they have some negotiating power, and by selling Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for £105 million in January, despite the midfielder having been signed for around £8.5 million in June 2022 and playing only 17 Primeira Liga games, the era of finding a bargain in Portugal’s top tier may have come to an end.
Liverpool look for value in the transfer market. It has been something that they have been both lauded for and lambasted for. In looking toward Brazil for their defensive midfield lynchpin for future years it takes them back to 2007 and their £5m acquisition of another defensive protector, Lucas Leiva. Lucas would spend a decade at Anfield after joining from Gremio, ending his career at the end of last season at the same Brazilian club.
Following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia, the Reds have a need to address more than just one position, and the defensive frailties on display during pre-season could well prompt Jurgen Klopp to enter the market for a centre-back ahead of another punishing season in which the club will be fighting on all fronts and in need of options.
Whether or not Andre is the guy has to be seen, and with talks with Lavia and Southampton still ongoing, that particular path is not yet closed. Even this summer, the Reds haven’t given up on finding value in the market, with the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion seen as something of a bargain given his true market value versus the price of his release clause, which was negotiated when he signed his new deal before the World Cup, which he would go on to shine and win with Argentina. A foray into the Brazilian sector could result in a deal as well as the ability to help other areas in need.
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