Liverpool have reportedly tabled a £30 million bid for Gremio striker Luan, who was part of the Brazil team that won the gold medal at the recently concluded Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
According to Brazilian outlet Futebol de Guacha (h/t Daily Express), Jurgen Klopp is intent on bolstering his attacking options and has tabled a £30 million bid for Rio Olympics gold medalist Luan.
It is also reported that Manchester United have been keeping tabs on the player, but Liverpool seem to hold the upper hand in the pursuit of the striker. Also, manager Jose Mourinho has recently claimed that his side will not be further involved in the transfer window, making a move for the Brazilian highly unlikely.
Luan, 23, put in a spirited performance at Rio and finished as the joint-second highest goalscorer for his nation. He was tied on three goals with Manchester City new boy Gabriel Jesus, one goal behind Brazil captain and Barcelona superstar Neymar.
He looked extremely skillful and composed on the ball and was involved in a number of attacks for Brazil. Along with Gabriel, Luan managed to wreak havoc in the opposition area and looked in fine form in all but one of the hosts’ games at the Rio Olympics.
Do Liverpool need another striker?
After signing him for a staggering £32.5 million fee only a year ago, Liverpool decided to offload Belgian Christian Benteke to Crystal Palace. The former Aston Villa striker was roped in by Brendan Rodgers, but Klopp does not see Benteke as a part of his plans and incurred a loss of £500,000 on his sale.
Currently at the club, Roberto Firmino is the German manager’s preferred strike option. The Brazilian is often deployed as a false number nine as he is expected to put in a shift defensively as well as find the back of the net.
Below Firmino in the pecking order are strikers Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi. Both proficient attackers on their day, they have the quality to strengthen the majority of the Premier League clubs. Thus, adding a fourth striker to the squad would make very little sense for Jurgen Klopp. Also, due to his lack of experience in the Premier League, Luan may struggle to cope with the physicality and pace of England’s top division.
