Premier League CEO intervenes in effort to block Liverpool January transfer deal
Fulham's chief executive has flown out to Brazil for talks with Fluminense star Andre to prevent Liverpool and Manchester United from signing the midfielder.
Andre has starred for the Brazilian giants, making 55 appearances in all competitions and helping them to win the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history. He has done that at the age of just 22, drawing the eye of several top clubs.
Both Liverpool and United are seeking to upgrade their options in midfield options in the January transfer window. But it is the Cottagers who now appear to be leading the race to sign the Fluminense starlet.
The London side are expected to heavily back manager Marco Silva in January after he signed a new contract; turning down a move to Saudi Arabia in the process. According to the Evening Standard, Andre is one of their top targets for the winter window.
To get themselves ahead in the chase for the 22-year-old, chief executive Alistair Mackintosh flew out to Brazil for face-to-face talks last week. He then attended the Copa Libertadores final, in which Andre played all 120 minutes.
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In fact, the midfielder played every single minute of Fluminese's entire campaign in that tournament. Andre is keen to make a move to the Premier League in January, once the season in Brazil comes to an end.
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Fulham's CEO has flown out to Brazil for talks with Fluminense midfielder Andre Trindade (AFP via Getty Images)Fluminese president Mario Bittencourt has already admitted he is resigned to losing Andre in January. Bittencourt has though warned that it will take a record fee for him to sell his star midfielder.
“We are waiting. Today, there is no concrete proposal for Andre,” he told Globo. “But we are sure that after the Club World Cup - he will play in the World Cup - a stratospheric proposal will arrive.
“It could be the biggest sale in the club's history. We could possibly lose both (Andre and defender Nino), but we are working to replace them.”
Andre's agent has also lifted the lid on talks he held with Fluminese chiefs earlier in the year. He revealed that there is an agreement in place for the midfielder to depart in the winter window.
“He came to me and said that Fluminense had no interest in selling André this year,” Carlos Leite told Globo. “I talked to the player, explained it to him, and he bought the idea. We agreed that it would only be traded from January 2024 onwards.
“There were actually several proposals (in the summer), all of which came to me I forwarded to Mario, but aware that there would be no negotiation. Unless Fluminense changed its mind. He had no reason to sit with me, he is not obliged to sell anyone. But he had this concern."
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