Another new name was thrown in the ring in the pursuit of a defensive midfielder, but who is the 22-year-old Brazilian who has been with Fluminense since he was 12?
There has been one consistent name in recent weeks when it comes to the Reds’ transfer activity, but Andre was a surprise new entrant as talks for Romeo Lavia drag on.
The young Brazilian is a defensive midfielder but offers a different set of skills in the position to his Southampton counterpart.
Liverpool have made “contact” with Fluminense and any deal would cost in the region of £20 million, though a January deal could be the likeliest route if a transfer was to go through.
So, it begs the question as to who Andre is and what he could offer. Let’s take a look.
Who is Andre?
Age: 22
Height: 5’7″
Nationality: Brazilian
Strengths: Passing, dribbling, retaining possession
Andre Trindade da Costa Neto, simply known as Andre, is a defensive midfielder for Brazilian side Fluminense.
The 22-year-old has been with the club since the age of 12 and made his professional debut at 18, he has since gone on to make 145 appearances.
His performances at club level earned him his first international cap for Brazil in June of this year, he played 16 minutes in a friendly defeat against Senegal.
A ball-winning midfielder, Andre is confident in possession but should not be regarded as a direct replacement for Fabinho nor a comparable alternative to Lavia.
He is, therefore, regarded as more of a controller, a player that could be viewed as the successor to Thiago‘s position at the conclusion of the Spaniard’s contract next summer.
What are his strengths and weaknesses?
As abovementioned, his passing is a key strength. As per WhoScored, Andre ranks top for both passes per game (75.4) and pass success rate (93.7 percent) in the Brasileirao this season.
While more than capable with the ball at his feet, he is still very much adept at breaking up play.
He is averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per 90, Fabinho, on the other hand, averaged 1.8 and 1 respectively last season.
And to keep Lavia in the mix, the 19-year-old finished last season with an average of 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per 90 in his debut season.
The obvious caveat to those statistics is the discrepancy between the Brasileirao and the Premier League.
All data viz related to Andre from Fluminense.
Andre had a ball retention of 85% right after winning the ball in Brasilerao 2022.
He is a mix of Thiago and Wijnaldum to put it simply. pic.twitter.com/HpkvDtibJy
— Pranav (@pranav_m28) July 15, 2023
Moreover, Andre is progressive and looks to utilise his skills on the ball to drive forward and his ability to retain possession is a strength, he has been dispossessed only 0.4 times per 90 so far this season.
His weakness, if you will, lies in the fact that he is not a specialist protector of the defence like Fabinho, thus he would need to complement a proven No. 6.
He could be considered ill-disciplined though this hints at the development still needed, and aerial duels are listed as a weakness.
Where would he fit in?
The right-footed midfielder has played as part of a 4-2-3-1 system and in a three-man midfield in the double pivot, he has been likened to what Thiago and Gini Wijnaldum offer/ed to Liverpool.
That profile of a player, especially in Wijnaldum’s circumstance, can go under the radar but they play a pivotal role in keeping the team ticking over.
He has the flair and technical ability to match his defensive actions and in the previous 4-3-3 system, he would have slotted in on the left side of midfield.
But the new 3-4-3 formation, in possession, could allow for a box midfield that sees Andre play alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold in front of the defence.
This would be effective against teams in the bottom half of the table but a specialist No. 6 would be required against higher quality opposition.
It would at least offer versatility and a level of unpredictability when it comes to naming an XI but we’re not looking at a “proven No. 6” that Klopp acknowledged is a target this summer.
There is a lot to like about Andre, his qualities see him capable of playing as a No. 6 or even a No. 8 in Klopp’s system, versatility which is always highly valued.
A successor for Thiago has a nice ring to it, now to see if Liverpool continue down this path.
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