Real Madrid will battle Liverpool for the signature of Flamengo star Joao Gomes.
According to 90min, Spanish giants Real Madrid will compete with Premier League heavyweights Liverpool in the transfer race for Flamengo star Joao Gomes.
The 21-year-old is making a name for himself in South America following a string of excellent performances at the club level. This has seen him attract attention from some of Europe’s biggest names.
Gomes is a defensive midfielder and an excellent technician on the ball. This makes him a dynamic player capable of impressing for the best sides in world football. At 21, the Samba star also has time on his side and will only get better with age.
Flamengo, for their part, are keen to strengthen their hold on their star man and recently quadrupled his wages. The new terms saw the Brazilian ace extend his stay at the Maracana until 2027. Flamengo are aware that the player could move on next summer but now are in a position to secure top dollar.
Gomes is aware of interest from abroad and has in the past, opened up about donning the red jersey of Liverpool. This augurs well for Jurgen Klopp and co, who cannot afford to leave his midfield roster unaddressed next summer.
The Reds failed to land Aurelien Tchouameni last summer and lost him to Real Madrid and will be keen to avoid a repeat of the incident. Carlo Ancelotti’s side already have a young core of Federico Valverde, Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga at their disposal, and Gomes could struggle to secure regular game-time.
Liverpool are heavily linked with a move for Jude Bellingham next summer. While signing the Borussia Dortmund star would be a major coup, it won’t matter much unless it is further supplemented with additions. James Milner is on his last legs, while Jordan Henderson has regressed. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita will be out of contract at the end of the season, while Curtis Jones has failed to develop as expected.
The Reds’ midfield is in need of a major revamp, and Gomes should be just one name who will be added to the roster next summer. Anything less will prove to be a hatchet job and massively underwhelming.
While the 21-year-old has proven himself at the senior level, succeeding in Europe is another ball game. Playing under a manager such as Klopp should aid him in just that. Whether Real will throw another spanner in the Reds’ plans or not remains to be seen.