West Ham United have reportedly entered the race for coveted Brazilian talent and Liverpool target Andre Trindade.
West Ham have reportedly made “a provisional offer” for Fluminense star Andre Trindade, who has been heavily tipped to move to the Premier League with Liverpool in recent days. That’s according to Football Transfers’ journalist Jacque Talbot, who also claims “personal terms are not expected to be a problem” between the Hammers and the player.
The Irons supporters should not be too excited just yet, though. The transfer expert has also revealed that Fluminense are in the process of weighing up offers from a number of suitors, considering that a sale will not take place until the winter period when the Brazilian Serie A season is over.
Regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Brazil, the 22-year-old midfielder was heavily linked with Liverpool earlier this month. The Merseysiders’ pursuit of a new midfielder ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline is well documented.
They’re particularly in need of a new defensive midfielder after Fabinho’s move to Al-Ittihad this summer and Wataru Endo’s only stop-gap capture from Stuttgart. Andre emerged as an option to bolster Jurgen Klopp’s midfield ranks, but the Reds saw an offer turned down by Fluminense, despite reportedly agreeing on personal terms with the player.
The Brazilian outfit have stood firm on their insistence that the €25 million-rated midfielder will not be sold this summer as they seek Copa Libertadores glory. Having never won South America’s biggest club competition, Fluminense, understandably, doesn’t want to hamper their campaign with the sale of a key player.
They are willing to do business in January, which has forced Liverpool to shift their focus elsewhere. With the Reds prioritising a deal for Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, the door has been left somewhat ajar for West Ham, who have now made their own offer for the 22-year-old.
Though West Ham’s offer is not known, it is said that Fluminense would be willing to accept an offer of around £21.5 million, including add-ons. A figure in that region would represent a club-record sale.
Andre is an incredibly exciting young player and a midfielder with a very well-rounded skill set. And if West Ham manage to beat Liverpool in the race for his signature, it will be a massive statement of intent from the club.
The Brazilian is a defensive midfielder by trade but can operate as an orthodox central midfielder or even in more of an attacking role. He has power, energy, aggression, tenacity, and athleticism in plenty and possesses exceptional technical ability.
David Moyes has recruited well this summer to replace Declan Rice, and adding Andre to a midfield that already contains James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, and Lucas Paqueta would be quite the force. That said, even if they do manage to sign Andre, he won’t be able to join at the London Stadium for a few months.
This is certainly a situation to keep an eye on, as West Ham director Tim Steidten has been in Brazil lately to seal the Yuri Alberto transfer, so this transfer could be one he is working on. All is not lost in Liverpool’s pursuit either; the Reds could yet make another approach for Andre before the deadline in an attempt to twist Fluminense’s arm and force them to change their stance.
