Liverpool ‘reach pre-agreement’ to sign ‘spectacular’ World Cup star with £103m release clause
Liverpool have reportedly ‘reached a pre-agreement’ with Benfica to sign Argentina international Enzo Fernandez following his great form at the World Cup.
The 21-year-old signed for Benfica during the summer for a fee that could rise to around £15m with add-ons.
Fernandez joined the Portuguese side after he broke through at River Plate in Argentina.
The centre-midfielder has impressed for Benfica in his debut season. He has grabbed three goals and five assists in 24 outings.
He has also made an impact at the World Cup for Argentina as he has been one of the tournament’s best young players.
Fernandez scored a stunning goal in their vital 2-0 win over Mexico in the group stages and he is now likely to start against Croatia in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.
PSG superstar Lionel Messi was full of praise for Fernandez after the victory over Mexico.
“I know Enzo very well, here from the national team and I also played against him in the Champions League,” Messi said.
“He deserves it, because he’s a spectacular kid and a very important player for us. I’m very happy for him and for us, because the goal he scored gave us peace of mind in the game.
“To start the World Cup with a loss, so we wanted to turn the situation around. Enzo’s great goal ended the game.”
It is common knowledge that Liverpool want to sign at least one new midfielder in the coming months.
They would love to acquire Jude Bellingham but they face competition from Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Fernandez’s recent form has led to talk of him being a viable alternative to Bellingham for Liverpool.
Last month, it was claimed that Liverpool are the team who are ‘leading’ the chase to sign Fernandez.
The Mirror have cited Portuguese outlets Record and Diario AS, with them reporting that Fernandez has now ‘reached a pre-agreement’ with Liverpool.
The validity of this report is up for debate as neither source have suggested that this information has come from them. Instead, ‘both outlets cite that those reports emerged in the other nation’.
Liverpool may indeed have interest in Fernandez, but is likely that a lot of work is yet to be done to complete a deal.
There is a £103m release clause in the player’s contract and Benfica president – Rui Costa – has indicated that no players will leave in January unless their buy-out clauses are met.
“We have the sole objective of having a winning season, no player will leave – unless it is due to the clause – which at this moment is fundamental for the squad,” Costa said.
“What I can promise our supporters is what I did at the beginning of the year. This is a sporting project, not a financial one. Fortunately, we are not experiencing financial problems and we have no need to sell players.”
READ MORE: Transfer gossip… Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool stars face big decisions on contracts
