Liverpool have reportedly made contact with Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez over a potential move to Anfield.
The Lowdown: Fernandez's season so far
The previous summer transfer window saw Benfica sign the Argentine from River Plate on a five-year deal. Since then, the 21-year-old has scored three goals and delivered five assists in 24 appearances across all competitions for the Lisbon club.
With the January transfer window shortly opening for business, the Premier League club have already started to make moves behind the scenes over a potential swoop for the midfielder.
The Latest: Liverpool make contact with Fernandez
According to a recent report from Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), both Liverpool and Real Madrid have already made contact with the player over a potential transfer.
The report adds that, while Benfica are not expecting to see Fernandez leave in the upcoming January transfer window, they do expect him to be sold at some point in the near future and realise that it will be difficult to keep him amid his ever-growing reputation.
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-35/" title="Latest Liverpool transfer news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
The Verdict: Exciting for Liverpool
With only two outfielders at Benfica having played more minutes in the league than Fernandez this season, this shows just how important a player he is for the club, having only joined them in the summer.
In terms of what he offers to this team on the pitch, the Argentine - who has been lauded as an "extraordinary" player by journalist Nico Cantor - has tallied more progressive passes (110) than any other player in the Portuguese top flight.
The youngster has also made a name for himself on the biggest stage in football by not only scoring a goal and providing an assist for Argentina in the World Cup, but also earning himself an overall performance rating of 6.92/10, making him the fourth-highest rated player to feature for Lionel Scaloni's side according to WhoScored.
Taking all of that into account, it's easy to see why the Reds have reportedly made contact with the player in the hope that he'll eventually move to Anfield, and we feel that this would be a very exciting signing if FSG can pull it off in 2023.