It is a pretty open secret that Liverpool have a big interest in Fluminense midfielder André Trindade.
The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the best players in South America and has starred in his team’s run to to the Copa Libertadores Final, which takes place on November 4th against Boca Juniors.
Back in the summer, Fluminense director Mario Bittencourt confirmed Liverpool made contact for the diminutive anchorman but that nothing would happen until January due to his team’s participation in the tournament.
“Liverpool’s executive director contacted me directly. And I replied to him: ‘My friend, I don’t sell players now and I don’t deliver now’,” Mario Bittencourt told ESPN, via O Globo.
“[I told him]: ‘If you want to buy him now to take him in January, we can start talking, or if you want to wait until December, we’ll talk in December’.”
January is fast coming around though and if the Reds are serious about the potential signing, the wheels will already be in motion.
What are the rumours?
There’s plenty from pretty reliable sources. BBC Sport journalist Tim Vickery said before the Copa Libertadores semi-final that, “Liverpool fans will be wanting to watch the central midfielder Andre, who is almost certainly, I think, on his way there.”
Transfer journalist Graham Bailey says Liverpool are very much still keen on Andre, while respected correspondent Neil Jones told told EOTK exclusively that, “There’s obviously a great feeling in Brazil that the player [Andre] is ready to leave Brazil…”
“It would be a massive statement for Liverpool to do that. I don’t know what it would say about Wataru Endo…”
There is however late interest from Arsenal according to Brazilian reporter Thiago Ferreira, so Liverpool might face a fight on our hands to get him, especially considering their sporting director is former Brazil midfielder Edu and they have proven a financial strength in the transfer market recently.
What kind of player is Andre?
A very capable one. Andre is primarily a buildup player. He takes the ball from either the goalkeeper or his centre-backs and slowly moves his team up the pitch. Andre can dribble, play off one-touch and beat opponents on the half-turn.
On the ball he’s not dissimilar to Alexis Mac Allister, who has been playing as Liverpool’s no.6 this season. But off it, Andre is more naturally robust and is producing very good numbers for tackles and interceptions. Mac Allister has given the ball away too often in our deep-lying position because of his naturally more creative attributes, while Andre has a very high-pass percentage. He rarely takes risks with his passing, although he does occasionally break the lines and switch play.
You can see some of his best bits from the season below, although as always compilations don’t ever truly describe a player.
If Liverpool sign Andre he could end up a fantastic bargain
Massive massive potential 🇧🇷✨pic.twitter.com/8myXRNN1Vt
— Vision 🇭🇺 (@Lfc__vision) October 12, 2023
What role would he have at Liverpool?
Probably as Thiago’s replacement. The Spaniard is a magician, but he’s 32-years-old and his very expensive contract expires at the end of this season.
More importantly, he’s seemingly always injured and has now been out for six months and counting with a hip problem. We’d all love a healthier, younger Thiago – and the thought of him pulling strings with Trent Alexander-Arnold in a double-pivot is mouthwatering – but not consistently realistic.
Andre is a decade younger than Thiago and has no history of injury problems. It has to be caveated though that the competitions he is currently playing in are a lot slower than the Premier League. He has more time on the ball and dribbling the ball out of defence and maintaining possession while being pressed is a much harder job in England. Andre lacks Thiago’s pizzazz and finesse on the ball but in truth, almost everyone does. His availability is a less exciting but more crucial attribute.
We saw against Brighton last time out that Jurgen Klopp was very keen on a slow, patient buildup from the back. This requires defensively-minded ball-players who can work triangles and eventually give the ball to more creative players further forward.
Andre ticks those boxes and given Mac Allister’s struggles at no.6, Stefan Bajcetic’s age and the fact Klopp doesn’t seem to trust Endo yet, we might need another option in this role.
Will it happen?
Liverpool have been pretty good at getting deals done in January the past few years. In January 2023 we got Cody Gakpo and the year before, Luis Diaz.
My gut tells me this one is a go-er, although much might depend on if Bajcetic can get himself into the team and if Endo can become the player Klopp promised he was.
If those two begin to flourish, there is perhaps no immediate need for Andre, although the promise of a long-term, potentially world-class no.6 is one we shouldn’t be turning down.
I’ll be worried if we don’t get this deal done within the first two days of the January window. Liverpool’s business model has always been to get our top priorities signed as soon as possible so we can get them on the training grounds and in the games quickly.
The more this is talked about the less likely we will get him which will be terrible as he seems exactly the type/ caliber player Liverpool need to complete the MF re-build! And he is not outrageously expensive.. we need to have the discussions now to lock him down before Jan window even opens..
Bellingham all over again. Slightly shorter courtship ritual but echoes of familiarity. Hope History doesn’t repeat itself!