Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Brazilian winger Otavio from Portuguese giants FC Porto, with Valencia and Fiorentina also keen.
According to a report from Portuguese publication Correio de Manha, Liverpool are showing an interest in FC Porto’s Brazilian star Otavio, who could be available for a transfer fee of €40 million this summer.
Otavio has been with FC Porto since 2014, when he arrived from boyhood club Internacional in his homeland, Brazil. Over the years, the versatile attacking midfielder has grown into a key player for the Dragoes, following an eighteen-month loan stint with fellow Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes. To date, the 26-year-old has made 188 appearances for the club, bagging 19 goals and 49 assists.
Otavio enjoyed a productive 2020/21 season even though Porto finished without a trophy. The former Brazil Under-23 international ended the campaign with five goals and 12 assists from 42 games across all competitions. He signed a new contract with the Portuguese giants only in March earlier this year, extending his stay at the club till the summer of 2025.
However, it is now being claimed that interest from Liverpool may have turned his head. The Reds are in the market for attacking reinforcements considering that Sadio Mane had an underwhelming 2020/21 season, while the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Takumi Minamino are facing uncertain futures at the club as well.
Furthermore, with both Mohamed Salah and Mane likely to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations early next year, they are bound to miss a chunk of the 2021/22 season. Having suffered from a lack of depth in the defensive department in the campaign gone by, Jurgen Klopp would be intent on avoiding a repeat of a similar situation in the attacking unit.
To that end, a move for Italian star Domenico Berardi has been mooted recently, with Otavio also emerging as a potential target for the Merseyside giants now. The 26-year-old has largely played on the left side of the midfield in a 4-4-2 setup at Porto but can feature out wide on the right or even operate in the No. 10 role as well. Such versatility would provide Klopp with tactical flexibility with regard to choosing his attacking options.
Otavio, as part of his renewed contract with the Portuguese club, has a release clause of €60 million. However, the report does specify that the Brazilian can be signed for a reduced fee of €40 million until the end of this month. Apart from Liverpool, the 26-year-old is also attracting interest from La Liga outfit Valencia as well as Serie A club Fiorentina.
Whether the Reds are willing to make a move for Otavio before the month ends or decide to pursue alternative attacking options now remains to be seen.