Liverpool is about to renew their interest in the January transfer window after failing in their summer effort to recruit Fluminense midfield star Andre.
Andre, a midfielder for Fluminense, has said that while he turned down the opportunity to leave the team in the summer, he will be open to a January transfer, with Liverpool still showing interest.
The Brazilian team rejected a £25 million attempt by the Reds to capture the midfield player in August. That was predicated on the club’s goal of winning the South American Champions League, or Copa Libertadores, this season.
Standing strong has paid off for Fluminense; they will face Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors in the final next month. The Rio de Janiero club is now trying to take home the prestigious trophy for the first time, having lost in the competition’s 2008 final.
According to ESPN, Fluminense’s decision to not sign the gifted Andre during the summer was made because they wanted to stay in the Copa Libertadores and saw the midfielder as an essential member of the club.
Now that he has acknowledged it, he had previously given the club his word that he would stay until 2023 before reassessing his options in January 2024. The midfielder went on to say that he thinks the club’s achievements have raised his value during that period.
“I didn’t talk about it in this previous window; this is the first time I’m going to talk about it in more detail,” Andre said in a CONMEBOL Libertadores interview. “It was truly an unquestionable offer from the major league team.
“Every player, in my opinion, hopes to play in a major league in Europe for a prestigious club at some point. However, I made the decision to honour my word because Diniz, the manager of Fluminense, showed up after the January window closed and informed me that he wanted me to stay until the end of the year. We had no idea that a proposition that size would come up, and I assured him that I would stay until the conclusion of the season, no matter what.
“It finally passed and arrived in the middle of the year, while we were still in the Copa Libertadores round of sixteen.” It was an extremely tough choice to make. Since I had previously given my consent to Diniz, I’m not sure if I would have been completely at ease if I had accepted this proposition. He truly respects honesty and keeping his word. I am aware that positive things always come from doing the right things. And back in January, he assured me that if I stayed, I would definitely gamble and my value would rise.”
Andre received his first senior cap for Brazil earlier this year and has over 150 matches for Fluminense under his belt. Because the Brazilian football season extends into the British summer, South American clubs are frequently more amenable to sales in the winter, and the Copa Libertadores knockout stages have occurred during those months.
Andre is a defensive midfielder with the right foot who is highly regarded for his technical skill, strength, and tactical awareness. He is seen as the team’s standout player, having advanced from their young divisions, and he currently plays for Brazil internationally.
The Brazilian’s agent, Jorge Mendes, also represents Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota of Liverpool, therefore the Reds felt it was worth pursuing the player. The super agent might still be able to assist with a future move to Anfield.