Liverpool failed in their summer transfer bid to recruit Fluminense midfielder Andre, but they are expected to revive their interest in the January transfer window.
Andre, a Fluminense midfielder, has indicated that he turned down the opportunity to leave the club in the summer but will be open to a January transfer, with Liverpool being interested.
In August, the Reds’ £25 million approach for the midfielder was rejected by the Brazilian club. This was due to the club’s desire to win the Copa Libertadores, or South American Champions League, this season.
Fluminense’s perseverance has paid off, as they have advanced to the final against Argentine giants Boca Juniors next month. After falling short in the competition’s final in 2008, the Rio de Janeiro club is now trying to win the prestigious trophy for the first time.
According to ESPN, the reason Fluminense simply denied the brilliant Andre leaving during the summer was because they still compete in the Copa Libertadores and regard the midfielder as an important element of their club.
He has now acknowledged that he had already guaranteed the club that he would stay until January 2024, before re-evaluating his future. The midfielder also stated that he believes his value has improved in that time span as a result of the club’s success.
“I didn’t talk about it in the previous window; the first time I’m going to talk about it in more depth will be now,” Andre stated in an interview with CONMEBOL Libertadores. “It was an unequivocal proposal from a major league club.”
“I believe that every player dreams of playing for a big club in Europe, in a big league.” But I kept my word because when the January window closed, Diniz [Fluminense manager] arrived and told me he wanted me to stay until the end of the year. We had no idea a proposition of that size would emerge, and I told him that whatever occurred, I would be there until the conclusion of the season.
Fluminense advanced to the Copa Libertadores final after scoring two late goals against Internacional (
“It ended up passing and arriving in the middle of the year, while we were still in the Copa Libertadores round of 16.” It was a difficult choice to make. I’m not sure if I would have felt completely comfortable if I had accepted this request because I had previously agreed with Diniz. He places a high value on his word and his honesty. I know that good things always happen when we do the right things. And in January, he told me unequivocally that if I stayed, I would gamble and my value would rise.”
Andre is a right-footed defensive midfielder who is praised for his tactical awareness, toughness, and technical aptitude. He is regarded as the star of the Fluminense team, for whom he rose through the youth ranks, and is now a fixture on the international stage for Brazil.
The Reds believed pursuing the Brazilian midfielder was beneficial because his agent, Jorge Mendes, also represents Liverpool combo Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota. The super-agent could potentially help broker another deal to Anfield in the near future.
