Liverpool are close to signing Luan Vieira from Gremio, the man dubbed the ‘new Ronaldinho’ in Brazil, for £26million.
According to a report by The Mirror, Liverpool have been tracking the performances of Luan for almost a year now, and are close to signing the young Brazilian striker.
Some reports suggest that Gremio might release Luan only for a higher pay, and it is understood that Liverpool are willing to go as high as €30 million, making them strong candidates. Also, their potential Champions League spot can only boost their chances further.
Jurgen Klopp has his sights set on the youngster and thinks that he would be an ideal fit with fellow Brazilians Phillipe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino. The 24-year-old has reportedly denied a new contract at Gremio, which is likely to work in Liverpool’s favour.
Luan Vieira has been blessed enough to be described as Brazil’s next star by Ronaldinho, even as reports emerge of the young striker’s style being similar to that of the Brazilian legend.
It might sound like mighty statements to make, but he established his reputation by sealing an Olympic gold medal for Brazil alongside Barcelona’s Neymar and Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus last summer in Rio.
In fact, he was particularly impressive in the Olympics. He scored a stupendous goal in the quarter-finals, and scored again in the semi-finals followed by a penalty in the shootout in the final.
The Gremio forward has scored six times in 15 appearances so far this season and has 43 goals in 174 games in total since 2014.
For his club and country, Luan has played wide of a front three, essentially as a central striker and has excelled greatly in that role. This makes it all the more perfect for Klopp who is in need of a goal-scoring wide player to fit his attacking line.
Luan can also prove to be an alternative in the occasions when Daniel Sturridge gets injured.
However, there have also been strong reports which suggest that Barcelona are also in the fray to sign the young striker as Luis Enrique looks to add some options in order to experiment and maybe inject some freshness into their attack.
Luan’s chances at a team which already includes big names like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar may not be available at a premium, and hence, Liverpool will be the better choice for the young striker since he will get the space and opportunities to truly make a mark.