Liverpool are definitely keeping tabs on West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, but will not be drawn into a bidding war to sign him.
That’s according to journalist David Lynch, who has suggested that the Reds may not move for Fernandes even though they think he’d be a good fit.
The 21-year-old is likely to leave West Ham this summer after the Hammers were relegated to the Championship, but despite Liverpool‘s need for a new midfielder, links to Fernandes have been sparse.
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As Lynch explains to Anfield Index, there is a reason for this, and it has to do with the Reds’ reluctance in going after players who they know are already unattainable.
Liverpool won’t be drawn into Fernandes bidding war
As Liverpool look for more energy and power in their midfield, Fernandes would definitely fit the bill after an excellent two seasons in the Premier League.
Though he has been relegated in both of his years in the top division, the Portuguese looks set for a career at the top of the game, and has been heavily linked to the likes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool have been notable by their absence when reports of Fernandes’ possible destinations have surfaced, but according to Lynch this does not mean they should be ruled out of a move to sign him.
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“100 per cent [Liverpool are watching Fernandes], they’d be crazy not to be looking at him.” he said. “I wonder whether one of the reasons we don’t see him as concretely linked is not because they don’t like him as a player, but because that competition is so intense and they maybe know that other clubs are going to go very, very hard for him.
“West Ham, because there’s so much interest, are going to drive an incredibly hard bargain over him. So, we’ll see on that one. I would never rule him out at this point and I’d just keep an eye on how developments go and what the figure looks like, because I think he would tick a lot of boxes for Liverpool.
“He’s definitely someone who’s being watched and you can put him on the shortlist,” Lynch added. “But whether they push for him or not that kind of remains to be seen at the moment.
“If they get a sense that they’re going to be dragged into a bidding war or they’re going to have to go crazy with anything, they will step away.”
With reports suggested that Fernandes could cost up to £80m this summer, it is no surprise that Liverpool will quietly watch from the sidelines rather than plough straight ahead and into the mix. But if they feel the fee suits them, perhaps they could just jump in.
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