Liverpool are one of the teams looking to sign Flamengo’s teenage sensation Matheus Franca.
That’s according to Brazilian outlet Torcedores. They claim that the Reds join Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Arsenal in having the 19-year-old ‘in their sights.’
Currently, Arsenal are named as the side with the biggest interest. It’s claimed that in a bid to ‘get ahead’ of their rivals, the Gunners will scout Franca in the flesh during Flamengo’s Copa Libetadores clash with Atletico Nublense tonight.
If any side wishes to prise him away from Flamengo without a fight, they’ll have to pay pretty big, though. According to Torcedores, the teenager has a release clause of almost £163m.
Obviously, the Serie A side can’t expect to get anything like that for a player who’s played only 43 times for them. But with the South American market growing among Premier League sides, they’ll hope to get a decent chunk of it.
Liverpool looking at Franca
Franca is a relatively tall forward with excellent touch and balance. He appears to have that typically Brazilian trait of being in full control of the ball at all times.
Silky smooth and beautifully composed, he looks to have similar attributes to Liverpool’s very own Cody Gakpo.
As a result, we can’t really see why the Reds would be in for Franca. If he were available for a good price, maybe they’d be tempted to bring him in. But with other sides in the mix and big numbers floating about, they won’t have a clear run at him.
Then again, there have been rumours that Liverpool may try to bring in another forward this summer. With Fabio Carvalho out of favour and Roberto Firmino set to depart, maybe there is a spot for someone to fill.
With bigger names ahead of him in the pecking order, perhaps Franca would feel the benefit of relatively little pressure while acclimatising to his surroundings.
In any case, it could be worth the punt for Liverpool. They surely regret not taking advice to sign another former Flamengo gem – Vinicius Jnr – back in 2017. Choose to say no to the black and reds again and this young man will no doubt go on to be a star somewhere else.