Liverpool are reportedly tracking a highly coveted prodigy from Brazil.
According to 90min, the Reds are ‘taking a keen interest’ in teenage centre-back Lucas Beraldo, who’s become a key player for Sao Paulo, having recently helped them to triumph in the Copa do Brasil final against Flamengo.
Scouts from Merseyside have already been dispatched to watch the 19-year-old in numerous occasions over the past few months, with Bayern Munich, Lyon and Monaco all doing likewise, and Wolves even made an unsuccessful transfer bid during the summer.
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The report from 90min notes that Beraldo boasts a ‘range of passing and ability to drift past opponents to retain possession in their own defensive third among his star qualities’, and the figures from FBref back up that billing.
Outside of Europe’s main leagues over the past 12 months, he ranks among the top 7% of centre-backs for passes per 90 (73.54), progressive passes per game (5.69) and pass completion (89.1%).
He’s clearly very composed in possession, a quality that Jurgen Klopp will appreciate in a Liverpool team who are adept at playing out from defence, a strategy often initiated by the peerless Alisson Becker.
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Centre-back is an area where the Reds may need to look at options for the long-term, with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip now both 32 and the latter set to be out of contract next summer as things stand.
We have another highly prodigious talent in Jarell Quansah breaking through, while Ibrahima Konate has yet to hit the peak years of his career, so potentially adding Beraldo to the ranks could leave us with several young and gifted defenders to call upon.
Rest assured that Liverpool’s scouting team will be keeping plenty more eyes on the 19-year-old Brazilian starlet over the coming months.