Liverpool did indeed try to sign one of West Ham United’s summer transfer targets it seems.
Both Liverpool and West Ham reportedly made offers for the same player in the summer transfer window.
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Hammers boss David Moyes and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp were both keen to bolster their central midfield ranks at the London Stadium and Anfield respectively.
In the end, both clubs did exactly that, but Brazilian midfield ace Andre was someone who they missed out on.
Fluminese rejected the Reds’ first offer and were expected to accept one from West Ham.
However, that didn’t happen in the end, and Andre remained with Fluminese. Now, the Brazilian club’s president president Mario Bittencourt has opened up on the pursuit of one of his star players…
Club chief says Liverpool tried to strike a blow to West Ham by signing 22-year-old in the summer
Bittencourt was speaking to Lance about Andre’s current situation with Fluminese.
And the Brazilian club’s president admitted that he held direct talks with Liverpool and the South American midfielder:
“There is an agreement between us, with the player and representative, that he would stay until the end of the year and they comply fully and with the greatest peace of mind. What they did is work as a representative of the athlete that he is: all the surveys that come in they communicate to Fluminense. In the case of Liverpool, I go even further. Liverpool’s Chief Executive contacted me directly. And I replied to him, ‘My friend, I don’t sell players now and I don’t deliver now. If you want to buy now and take it in January we can start talking, or if you want to wait until December and we’ll talk in December’.”
He’s incredibly versatile and can play as a defensive midfielder, in an orthodox central role or even further forward as a number 10.
He’s tenacious in the tackle, powerful in the challenge, has energy and stamina in abundance and is ideally suited to the Premier League.
Andre is one of the brightest young stars out in Brazil, and he would be an exceptional addition for either Liverpool or West Ham.
Judging by the Fluminese president’s comments though, it seems as though it’s the Reds who are more advanced in their pursuit to sign the 22-year-old.
If the Merseyside outfit beat West Ham to the signing of Andre in January, it will be a very big blow for us as far as I’m concerned.
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