Liverpool made an unusual transfer move at the end of last week, with FSG sanctioning a $140 million (£110 million/€128 million) bid for one player as Jürgen Klopp hurried to replace Fabinho, who departed England earlier this month for Saudi Arabia. Moisés Caicedo was the aim in question, but Chelsea also liked the South American.
After days of transfer upheaval, the Blues were able to secure his signature, forcing Liverpool to examine other choices. Despite the fact that Fabinho is a more attacking presence, Klopp was forced to start Alexis Mac Allister in Fabinho’s stead for his team’s Premier League opener on Sunday afternoon.
With Roméo Lavia expected to join Chelsea this week — after at least three Liverpool bids were turned down by Southampton — it remains to be seen who the Reds will pursue to fill the vacuum, with every team on the continent now aware that Liverpool has at least $140 million (£110 million/€128 million) in the bank. Klopp definitely has the funds for a new holding midfielder, but the market’s viable options are shrinking.
Declan Rice, for example, would have been great, but he signed with Arsenal earlier this summer. Caicedo and Lavia would have also been useful, but they will be representing Chelsea this season. Edson lvarez appeared to match the criteria as well, but West Ham United signed him from Ajax last week.
The possibilities aren’t great right now, but it’s clear that Liverpool has a lot of money to spend on the right man. Klopp revealed during his press conference that the Caicedo bid’stretched’ FSG’s resources, but the possibly surprising fact is now public: FSG has a sizable transfer budget.
Florentino Luis could emerge as a legitimate target in these circumstances. The Benfica midfielder is still only 23 years old and will turn 24 in a few days, but he has barely been mentioned among supporters due to the price tag linked to his name.
Luis is pleased with his progress in Portugal, and he agreed to sign a new contract with his parent club at the concLuision of last year, with his release clause increased. Any team hoping to recruit him will now have to pay $131 million (£103 million/€120 million), which is an eye-watering sum that may explain why Liverpool has yet to pursue him.
That could change after losing out on Caicedo and Lavia. While FSG will argue that it isn’t quite that straightforward, Klopp appears to have money burning a hole in his pocket.
Only two players in the entire Primeira Liga last season recorded more tackles and interceptions than Luis. These were Manuel Ugarte, who joined Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and Costinha, who plays for a much less possession-heavy Rio Ave team and has played 600 minutes more.
Luis was a true firefighter for Benfica, establishing his destructive tendencies in the middle of the field and essentially providing a framework for his colleagues to govern proceedings and take risks in attack, much like peak Fabinho.
Last season, the Portuguese star, who was born in Angola, also managed to tackle 69.7 percent of opponents who attempted to dribble past him, ranking him second in the division among midfielders. He appears to possess all of the traits required to offer Liverpool with an immediate defensive boost.
Luis is also used to being on the ball for a dominant team, averaging more touches per 90 minutes than every other player in Portugal last season save Enzo Fernández, who joined Chelsea in the midst of the season and was man of the match just a few days ago against Liverpool.
The Benfica star isn’t particularly creative with the ball, but he likes to keep it. Last season, he attempted 1,856 passes and completed 1,665 of them, giving him a completion rate of roughly 89.7 percent, placing him second among midfielders only to Ugarte.
Overall, Luis could be the ideal Caicedo replacement. He will be expensive, but after the events of the last week, every Liverpool fan understands that Liverpool and FSG have the funds to spend.
