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Porto star Alan Varela could be heading to Liverpool in a blockbuster summer transfer. (Image: Getty)
Liverpool are reportedly the closest Premier League team to landing Porto star Alan Varela, who has been dubbed the ‘next Javier Mascherano’. The Reds are hard at work to recruit for their next head coach, with midfield identified as an area of improvement despite four signings last summer.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo all arrived less than a year ago but Varela is seen as someone who can aid Liverpool going forward. He only moved to Portugal in August but impressed against Arsenal in the Champions League and won plenty of plaudits in his debut European season.
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The former Boca Juniors star does have a £60million release clause but Mundo Boca claim that Liverpool are keen on bringing him to Anfield. They are the only team to contact Porto regarding the possibility of signing Varela, having made the player aware of a £12m-a-year contract waiting in England.
Boca do have a 20 per cent sell-on fee, forcing Porto’s hand in demanding a high fee for their Mascherano-lite star. He has already received rave reviews from ex-Wolves star Ruben Neves, who described Varela as the “complete” midfielder when quizzed over his former club’s rising star.
Alan Varela has been likened to former Liverpool star Javier Mascherano. (Image: Getty)
“He is an excellent player. It was an excellent signing for Porto, perhaps the team’s most regular reinforcement in terms of time and quality of play," he told Portuguese outlet O Jogo.
"He is extremely aggressive, is always very well positioned in defensive balances and, lately, he has been getting a little further forward, making his passing and finishing ability count. He’s already scored two goals. He is very complete and has been one of the most important elements of the team.”
Endo and Mac Allister have largely filled Fabinho’s role as Liverpool’s holding midfielder this season, but the Argentine has flourished further forward and the club may view him as someone who will be advanced going forward.
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Endo has been an astute signing, arriving from Stuttgart for just £16.2m, but at 31 is not seen as the long-term fix in defensive midfield. With Sporting boss Ruben Amorim instilled as the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp, he would have first-hand experience watching Varela and could do his current club a favour by poaching one of their rivals’ top players.
