Liverpool set to sign £26m man in January but Real Madrid battling hard

Real Madrid and Liverpool are competing for Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes.

According to Diario AS, Madrid has now “set their sights” on bringing the 21-year-old to Spain. Liverpool is said to ‘adore’ Gomes, while Manchester United are also big fans.

However, Real Madrid is said to have an ‘advantage’ over the two English teams. What this entails is unclear, but Los Blancos are said to be considering Gomes as their ‘new Casemiro.’

Flamengo recently extended the youngster’s contract until 2027. He will, however, reportedly be on the market for around £26 million.

Liverpool goes head-to-head with Madrid yet again

Real Madrid being interested in a Liverpool midfield target will bring about a certain sense of Deja Vu for fans.

The Reds already lost out to the European Champions on summer target Aurelien Tchouameni. As the Frenchman has started life pretty well in La Liga, that one still stings a bit

If that wasn’t enough, Real is also said to be one of the main competitors for Liverpool’s top target for next summer, Jude Bellingham.

Add to that the memory of being beaten by Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the Champions League final in May, and Liverpool could really do with a win in this battle.

It remains to be seen whether Gomes will be that winner. Signing players from South America isn’t exactly in Liverpool’s playbook. However, after missing out on players such as Vinicius Junior in the past, it may be time to reconsider that strategy.

In that regard, Gomes would be just as good a bet as any other. At twenty-one, he already appears to be a fairly complete midfielder, and Liverpool could use a player in his mold.

£26 million also doesn’t seem excessive for a young man with a potentially very high ceiling.

Unfortunately for Liverpool, once Real Madrid comes in for these South American youngsters, it’s usually game over. Let’s wait and see what happens.