1 year ago
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Photo by Raul Sifuentes/Getty Images
Claims of Liverpool interest remain valuable for Fluminense but it’s always been hard to see where another midfielder fits.
When Liverpool’s interest in Fluminense 22-year-old deep lying playmaker André Trinidad was rebuffed over the summer, with his club determined to keep hold of him through the end of their—no successfully concluded—Copa Libertadores campaign, there were whispers that ended their interest.
Certainly their subsequent push to sign Ryan Gravenberch suggested they had moved on, and simply counting the numbers in midfield in the time since would lead most to conclude there’s little space for another midfielder. Still, that hasn’t stopped the rumour mongers trying to keep the André links alive.
Today, though, David Lynch writes at This Is Anfield that the club are not planning to move for André in January. Some, inevitably, will wring their hands, even if André doesn’t fit the template of the one type of midfielder Liverpool seem arguably short of, that of a destroyer and defensive screen.
While André has some capability on the defensive side, his game is that of a distributor and ball progression player from deep areas most similar to the injured Thiago Alcantara. If one believes Wataru Endo and an out of position Alexis Mac Allisiter aren’t sufficient cover at the six, André quite simply isn’t, either.
Accepting that, it then becomes a numbers game, and Liverpool currently have a lot of numbers in the middle of the pitch even leaving out the injured Thiago Alcantara. Arsenal, who also continue to be linked, at least have a little more room, and André most likely landing spot could be Fulham.
The Cottagers have been raised as a potential January destination for André over the past week, and while his profile differs from that of Bayern target João Palhinha, his rumoured departure for Bayern in January would certainly mean that Fulham will need to bring in a midfielder or two in short order.
