Liverpool appear to be concentrating heavily on the Portuguese top flight recently, and not just in the search for a new manager.

Amid the ongoing speculation over Ruben Amorim potentially taking the reins from Jurgen Klopp, the Reds also dispatched scouts to a Primeira Liga fixture over the weekend.

The print edition of Record claimed (via Sport Witness) that a delegation from Merseyside attended the clash between FC Porto and Vitoria Guimaraes on Sunday.

While the report didn’t mention any specific player who was being monitored, it’s been suggested that they may have been checking in on Alan Varela, who’s been a target for Liverpool ever since his time at Boca Juniors in his native Argentina.

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If Varela was indeed the main focus of the Liverpool scouting delegation, they’ll have been reasonably pleased with what they saw from him despite Porto losing 1-2 at home to a direct rival for Europa League qualification.

As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old won three tackles and five of his six duels, completed 91% of his passes (39/43), landed one shot on target and recorded four successful long balls.

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The defensive midfielder was withdrawn just 11 minutes into the second half, but having been replaced by a more attack-minded player in Ivan Jaime, that was most likely a tactical alteration by Sergio Conceicao with his team trailing.

In terms of Varela’s underlying statistics during his first season in Europe, he ranks very highly for pass completion (top 7% of positional peers in the continent) but is generally in the middle sector for most of the main metrics analysed by FBref.

It’s unclear whether he was the focus of the Liverpool scouts’ attention, while the managerial situation still needs to be resolved before we get any real clarity on summer transfer targets, but don’t be surprised if the Argentine’s name crops up again over the coming weeks in relation to potential interest from Anfield.

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Football Insider’s Merseyside correspondent David Lynch has highlighted a recent rule change which could help Liverpool in their reported interest in a South American talent.

According to TyC Sports (via Tribal Football), the Reds are closely monitoring the situation of Alan Varela at Boca Juniors and are set to consider submitting an offer for him in the near future.

As reported by The Athletic, the FA have eased the criteria for Premier League clubs to sign players from overseas, which in theory should make it more straightforward to acquire up-and-coming prospects from around the globe.

Lynch believes it could aid Liverpool when it comes to the Argentine midfielder, telling Football Insider colleague Fraser Fletcher: “I presume with someone like that, the new change in work permit rules would really play into the hands of a club like Liverpool in terms of actually being able to get that deal done now and not having to farm him out on loan.

“Maybe that’s a name who comes further up the list now because of that change.”

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The change to the work permit rules enables Premier League clubs to instantly register signings from overseas, even if they don’t meet the criteria for a Governing Body Endorsement (The Athletic).

Prior to the rule change, English top-flight teams would frequently need to loan out players to enable them to obtain the necessary senior experience to qualify for a UK work permit.

One such previous example concerning Liverpool was Taiwo Awoniyi, who signed for the Reds in 2015 as an 18-year-old but wasn’t eligible to play in England (GOAL), so he underwent a series of loan moves over the next six years without ever playing a first-team match for his parent club (Transfermarkt).

If Jurgen Klopp’s side do sign Varela this summer, hopefully he won’t be subjected to the same process of being loaned out constantly to try and earn the necessary qualifications to line out for the Merseysiders.

In any case, he should be helped by his tally of 102 senior appearances for Boca Juniors (Transfermarkt), with GBE criteria taking into account how often a footballer has played at first-team level and the quality of the leagues in which they’ve featured.

It remains to be seen just how seriously Liverpool will pursue the 21-year-old Argentine, but as Lynch has pointed out, the recent change to work permit rules ought to make it a bit easier for the Reds to get a transfer done.

You can view Lynch’s comments on Varela below (from 4:05), via Football Insider on YouTube:

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Liverpool have dispatched scouts to keep tabs on Alan Varela of Boca Juniors, according to reports.

As per Football Insider, the Reds are among multiple Premier League clubs to show an interest in the 21-year-old midfielder and have been scouting him in recent months ahead of a potential summer move.

An offer in the region of £16m-£20m could be enough to persuade the Buenos Aires club to do business as several prospective suitors continue their pursuit of him.

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Varela’s first goal for Boca Juniors was a landmark one in a wider context, which came in a Copa Libertadores clash against Deportivo Cali last May, was the 8,000th in the Argentine club’s history (Football Talent Scout).

As per Football Talent Scout, the 21-year-old defensive midfielder is ‘known for his defensive reliability and impressive range of passing’.

The same scout report commended his vision for a pass and his ability to pick out teammates from long distances, along with his pace and his comfort in ‘slotting into the defensive line, dictating play and controlling the game as much as he can’.

He’s already accrued 85 senior appearances for Boca despite his tender years, and while a first senior cap for Argentina has eluded him up to now (Transfermarkt), he could break through that particular glass ceiling in the foreseeable future.

With Liverpool pursuing a host of midfielders ahead of the summer transfer window, including Jude Bellingham, Mason Mount and Joao Palhinha, it remains to be seen just how heavily they push for Varela, and whether he’d be immediately ready for the first team if he were to come to Anfield later this year.

He does seem a talented prospect, though, and it may be worth keeping an eye on his progress in the weeks and months ahead.

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