Liverpool’s rumoured pursuit of Fluminense midfielder, Andre, could be set to progress according to a Brazilian journalist. Emmanuel Luiz revealed that the Reds are considering triggering the release clause in Andre’s contract this summer. The release clause is rumoured to be within the region of £20-£30 million for the defensive midfielder.
Furthermore, Luiz also insisted that Andre wants the move and is pushing to make the deal happen. Other reports released earlier today suggested that Liverpool have already agreed personal terms with the 22-year-old.
Liverpool had previously been tipped to sign the Brazilian in January, once Fluminense’s Libertadores campaign has concluded. However, if the Reds were to trigger the release clause, the deal would take place in this summer transfer window
Andre is a 22-year-old defensive midfielder, currently playing for Fluminense in Brazil. Since moving to the club for just £210k back in 2021, Andre has made 148 appearances for the club. Out of those appearances, 40 of those have come so far in 2023 as Fluminense have hit a fine run of form.
His fantastic form for Fluminense has also resulted in him earning a call-up to the Brazil national team back in June. The youngster has mostly been deployed as a defensive midfielder at the base of a three-man midfield, similarly to the role under Klopp at Liverpool.
The 22-year-old also has a perfect injury record, missing no games through injury throughout his career so far. This will be music to the ears of everyone at Liverpool, with the Reds’ midfielders being plagued by injuries over recent years.
In terms of similarities, Andre is of the same profile as Bruno Guimaraes who has become one of the best midfielders in the league at Newcastle United. Imagine a more robust and defensively strong version of Thiago Alcantara, that is what Andre could potentially become at Liverpool.
Andre’s statistics from the past year show just how well-rounded he is as a midfielder. Jurgen Klopp’s midfield needs a well-rounded player, which has been missing since Gini Wijnaldum’s departure in 2021.
His passing numbers are absolutely ridiculous, proving just how good of a footballer he really is. Passes completed per 90- 71.58 Pass completion %- 93.1% Passes into final third per 90- 6.29 Progressive passes per 90- 5.45 Although he may not be the most progressive player, with a 93.1% pass completion it’s clear to see why he suits the deep-lying role more.
In comparison, Fabinho had just an 88.1% pass completion for Liverpool last season. Andre is also more than capable as a defensive option, which is much-needed in a Liverpool midfield that has become lightweight recently. Tackles per 90- 2.41 % of dribblers tackled- 63.2% Interceptions per 90- 1.28 Ball recoveries per 90- 7.89
The most notable difference between these numbers to Fabinho’s last season, is the % of dribblers tackled. Last season Fabinho was overrun too often with players drifting past him far too easily. On average, the Brazilian only tackled 35.2% of dribblers for Liverpool last season. Andre is more mobile and active in the middle of the park with 7.89 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, compared to Fabinho’s 5.73.
One potential negative to Andre’s game is his aerial ability, winning just 0.24 aerials per 90 minutes. This averages to just 35% of aerials won by the youngster over the past year. Last season Fabinho averaged 1.11 aerials won per 90 minutes, averaging at 59.1% of aerials won in total. Due to the price being much cheaper than most of the other linked midfielders, Andre could prove to be a brilliant piece of business.
Ultimately, the deal depends on the difference in price between getting the deal done now compared to the cost to sign the Brazilian in January.
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