Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to journalist Rudy Galetti. 

The lowdown: Rise to prominence

The 23-year-old signed for Sporting in 2019 and has since become a star performer for the Primeira Liga outfit. The Portugal international has directly contributed to 15 goals in 99 first-team appearances, playing a part in the club's Portuguese top-flight success in 2020/21 and two Portuguese League Cup victories.

Heavily linked with a move to Wolves, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain already this summer, it now appears as though the Reds could be considering Nunes as an option...

The latest: 'In the crosshairs'

Taking to Twitter, Galetti - a journalist for Calciomercato among other outlets - has claimed that the Reds are among the suitors for the eight-cap Portugal midfielder.

He stated: “#Liverpool and #Chelsea have put in the crosshairs Matheus #Nunes. The #SportingCP midfielder is also followed by #ManCity: to date, no clubs have made an official bid yet. The race is open.”

The verdict: He'd be a top signing

Beating high-level domestic rivals to any signing would not only be another feather in the cap of sporting director Julian Ward so early in his tenure; snapping up a midfielder of Nunes' calibre would also be a sensational piece of business from Liverpool.

Although the Reds are relatively blessed in terms of numbers at Anfield, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Thiago and Naby Keita have all either had their fitness issues or are struggling to perform throughout a gruelling campaign.

Nunes - who was branded an 'absolute monster' by football commentator Маnuel Oyola - scored four goals and provided five assists in a mammoth 50 appearances across all competitions last season. He earned a stellar 6.95 Sofascore rating whilst winning 6.5 duels, completing 36.5 accurate passes and successfully carrying out 2.5 dribbles per game - higher than Mohamed Salah's 1.5 per match when it comes to the latter metric.

That form, combined with a wide range of high-class attributes, showcases Nunes' all-around ability as a box-to-box midfielder and would make the £31.5m-valued Portuguese sensation an incredible addition to Jurgen Klopp's ranks.