Fabrizio Romano drops emphatic update on 23y/o after ‘many questions from Liverpool fans’
Fabrizio Romano has ruled out a deadline day Liverpool swoop for a midfielder who’d been linked with the Reds throughout the summer.
Earlier this month, Steve Kay told KS1 TV that Porto’s Alan Varela was being headhunted by Anfield chiefs, amid claims that CEO of Football Michael Edwards and head coach Arne Slot ‘absolutely love’ the 23-year-old.
However, in his Daily Briefing on Friday morning, the Italian transfer reporter insisted that the Portuguese outfit have had ‘no contact’ from the Merseysiders in recent weeks.
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Romano wrote: “I’m receiving many questions from Liverpool fans on Alan Varela. We always have these kind of stories ahead of headline day so I was checking with my sources on this story, because Varela is a fantastic midfielder. I could spend two hours talking about him.
“Many clubs have had an interest in Varela this summer but the answer from Porto has always been the same: he is only leaving for the release clause of €65m [£54.7m]. What I can tell you is that Porto guarantee that they have had no contact from Liverpool, no bid from them.
“Their position is clear. If some clubs are interested in Varela, they have to pay €65m, but Porto absolutely want him to stay. Porto are not open to negotiating and also want to change his contract in the next month. That’s the situation.”
Although the failed pursuit of Martin Zubimendi a few weeks ago indicated that Liverpool want to bring in a defensive midfielder, the Reds will now need to pull a real rabbit from the hat to strengthen in that position in the final hours of the transfer window,
Varela has some of the best ball distribution statistics among positional peers in Europe over the past year, ranking among the top 12% for pass completion and progressive passes per game for that subset, although his numbers for defence-minded metrics such as tackles and interceptions per 90 are comparably poor (FBref).
Barring a dramatic swoop before 11pm tonight, the Reds could be left watching on as Porto potentially extend the 23-year-old’s contract amid the speculation over a possible exit during the summer.
For the time being, it looks as if Slot will continue to trust in Ryan Gravenberch as his deepest-lying midfielder, with a specialist number 6 in Wataru Endo waiting in the wings and Alexis Mac Allister also capable of playing in that role if required.
Liverpool’s fortunes between now and the end of 2024 should determine whether or not they go hard for a CDM in the January transfer window.
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