Lionel Messi has already given his seal of approval to reported Liverpool transfer target Enzo Fernandez.
On Monday evening, plenty of reports emerged that the Reds have made a step forward in their pursuit of the Argentine midfielder. And as per the Liverpool Echo, Messi has already endorsed Fernandez.
“I’m not surprised by Enzo. I know him and I see him train every day. He deserves it because he’s a spectacular player,” said the PSG man, following Fernandez’s World Cup Group Stage goal against Mexico last month.
As the pair hunt for glory in Qatar, Messi has had a front-row seat to the 21-year-old’s talents. And he’s clearly been very impressed. What more encouragement could the Reds need to make their move?
Media frenzy over Fernandez to Liverpool
Monday was a pretty intense day for Liverpool’s reported pursuit of Enzo Fernandez. Numerous outlets from Portugal and Argentina claimed that the Reds had, or were close to, striking a deal for the Benfica man.
These ranged from suggestions that a fee had been agreed with the Portuguese club (La Capital). To claims that a contract offer was already on the table from Liverpool (Juan Pablo Varsky).
Others, such as prominent Portuguese paper O Jogo, have also weighed in on things. They claim this morning that Liverpool have Fernandez ‘in their hands.’
The Reds will reportedly match any bids that arrive for the Argentina international next summer.
Of course, this could all be a little bit of journalistic creativity. But, with quite similar reports coming from different outlets, and different countries, this does feel significant.
Quite what that means, we’ll probably have to wait to find out. Enzo is still out at the World Cup, taking on Croatia in today’s semi-final, and you wouldn’t expect too many further updates in the meantime.
It would also seem relatively unlikely that a January move will happen, meaning this could rumble on. After news emerged of Real Madrid switching focus from Jude Bellingham to Fernandez though, Liverpool may need to act fast. As a result, a winter move can’t be completely ruled out.
Just as with Bellingham, Liverpool are going to have to pay a pretty astronomical figure for Enzo. Surely they can’t be targeting both? Well, they do need both. It would be a change from FSG’s transfer policy, but a very welcome one. Let’s see what the next developments bring.
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