Estadio Morumbi, Sao Paulo, Brazil - August 24, 2022, Flamengo's Joao Gomes celebrates scoring.
Liverpool target and Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes has publicly confirmed that he’s willing to play for the Reds.
The lowdown
Fabrizio Romano says that Julian Ward and his team have been monitoring Gomes ‘with their scouts’, though they have yet to initiate formal negotiations with Flamengo.
A 21-year-old defensive midfielder, he’s already made more than a century of appearances (106) for the Brazilian Serie A club and is under contract until the end of 2025.
The latest
In quotes relayed by Romano on his Twitter account, Gomes told ESPN Brazil that he would happily fulfil his Champions League ‘dream’ at Anfield.
He said: “Liverpool are a team I’d play for. I have the greatest desire to play.
“Playing in the Champions League is my biggest dream in football.”
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The verdict
Liverpool need to secure specialist cover for Fabinho. He is the only out-and-out defensive midfielder in their squad, and so they rely on somebody else to play out of position when he’s not available.
Signing Gomes would fill out that hole in the squad in the short-term, and he may also serve as the long-term successor to his compatriot if all goes to plan.
His standout attribute is his tackling – he averages 3.2 per game, considerably more than anybody else in Flamengo’s ranks – and he wins the majority of his ground duels (57%).
He’s been dubbed a ‘pitbull’ with a ‘great engine’ and a ‘winning mentality’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
It now remains to be seen whether the Reds respond to this pretty explicit come-and-get-me-plea with their first official bid in the January transfer window.
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