Liverpool has been linked with a move for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
According to a report from Catalan outlet Sport, Liverpool, along with Chelsea and Barcelona, are interested in signing the Argentine.
After signing Fernandez for €10 million (£8.7 million), Benfica is said to “already be rubbing their hands” over the interest from the aforementioned clubs, with the player now valued at more than €50 million (£43.6 million) after a promising start to life in Lisbon.
Whilst the Reds are seen as potential suitors for the star, it seems as though they will have to fork out a respectable fee to prise the 21-year-old Argentina international from the clutches of Benfica.
Klopp’s dream
Benfica has truly struck gold with Fernandez, which is a testament to its astute and low-cost approach in the transfer market.
Operating as a number six in a double-pivot partnership for the Portuguese giants, the 21-year-old has stolen the show under Roger Schmidt and has put up some staggering numbers.
With an average of 100 accurate passes per 90, Fernandez’s squad-topping feat for Benfica would transfer directly to the Liverpool squad, with van Dijk his closest competitor with an average of 69.9 accurate passes per 90.
The Argentine sensation, who has “power” and “aggressiveness” according to Robert Pires, has also conjured up an impressive 7.0 big chances created, which would again rank him at the very top in comparison to the Liverpool squad.
If those squad-leading metrics aren’t enough, Fernandez’s average of 11.1 accurate long balls per 90 minutes is nearly double that of Thiago Alcantara’s total of 6.2 per 90 minutes.
Fernandez, who cost £107 million, has benefited greatly from Schmidt’s possession-based approach, and there is no doubting his ability in the middle of the park, with the youngster quickly becoming a talismanic figure for the team.
For Klopp, he could become a next-generation general in the engine room, bolstering the team for years to come.
