Liverpool deny that Camacho sale is tied to €70m signing

Matt Stead

Liverpool have announced that Rafa Camacho has joined Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth up to £7m.

Liverpool had wanted to keep Camacho, rejecting a £10m bid from Wolves last month and agreeing provisional terms with the teenager over a long-term contract in January.

But the European champions announced the Portuguese has ‘completed a permanent transfer’ to Sporting after making just one Premier League appearance in three years. But what an appearance.

Sporting will pay a guaranteed £5m for the forward, as well as up to £2m in add-ons.

Liverpool have also inserted a 20% sell-on clause and a buy-back option into the deal, having been reluctant to lose a player who wanted more first-team opportunities.

The Reds were at pains to point out that doing business with Sporting over Camacho was not in any way tied to a potential deal for Bruno Fernandes, however.

Well-placed sources at The Guardian, Goal.com and the London Evening Standard all say Liverpool ‘have no interest’ in the Manchester United target, refuting claims that selling Camacho could be some sort of sweetener for signing Fernandes.