Liverpool is the favorite to win the Europa League this season, having competed in the Champions League in each of the previous six seasons.
All things considered, the Reds should easily advance from a group that also includes LASK (Austria), Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium), and Toulouse (France), and while teams who finished third in their Champions League groups will be included in the knockout stages, it’s unlikely that Liverpool will face a side capable of matching it on its day.
However, it is critical that Jürgen Klopp’s team does not get overconfident, as the experience of Arsenal last season serves as a warning tale. After finishing fifth in the Premier League the previous season, similar to Liverpool, the Gunners appeared to be the greatest option to win the tournament, especially after establishing themselves as title contenders.
Mikel Arteta’s side, on the other hand, would suffer an upset against Sporting in the round of 16, losing on penalties on home soil after both games ended in draws. Arsenal appeared to be through after Granit Xhaka’s second-leg opening, but Pedro Gonçalves lobbed Aaron Ramsdale from well outside the center circle to equalize just after the hour mark.
According to O Jogo, he not only put his team on track for the quarter-finals, but he also put himself on the radar of a number of English clubs. While one goal does not tell the entire story, Gonçalves is certainly a talent who has previously been identified as being on Liverpool’s radar.
According to the Portuguese outlet, Premier League clubs stood up and paid note after his wonderstrike, with Liverpool among them. Aston Villa has been the most aggressive up to this point, offering a proposal that fell short of Sporting’s expectations, while Tottenham and Newcastle are also intrigued.
Gonçalves is’satisfied’ with the club for the time being, having received a hefty wage increase when he extended his contract to 2027, but his $85 million (€80 million) release clause may appeal, and the 25-year-old may want to take the next step.
He spent the majority of last season (26 games) as a left-winger, but he also made 19 appearances as a number eight, sharing the same versatility as 2023 Liverpool signing Dominik Szoboszlai, who often played wide for RB Leipzig but has excelled in a central role for the Reds. Liverpool places a high value on flexibility because it helps it to get the most out of a limited roster.
Sporting bought Famalico’s Gonçalves in the summer of 2020, six months after selling Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United, and he’s proven to be a capable successor. He was the top scorer in the Portuguese top division in his first season, with 22 goals, and he led the way in assists last year, with 11.
In 133 games since his arrival, he’s scored 59 goals and assisted on 34 more, a rate of 0.7 involvements per game. The only real surprise is that he hasn’t already landed a significant move, given his numbers.
After recent transactions, Liverpool appears to be well-stocked on the left wing and in central midfield, making a big-money signing difficult to justify. Still, it’s understandable why a club might be tempted, especially given how many clubs are vying to match Manchester United’s transfer success. Liverpool may have found its next Portuguese acquisition in Gonçalves, following Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.