Why Liverpool must beat Arsenal in the race to sign Fluminense's Andre

Sam McGuire

Updated: 23 Oct 2023 15:56 BST
5 min read

André Trindade da Costa Neto, Fluminense — © ProShots

It isn’t often Liverpool and Arsenal go head-to-head for a player but according to reports, the Reds and the Gunners are both in the mix for Fluminense maestro Andre.

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The Merseyside club kept close tabs on the midfielder throughout the summer transfer window, but the Brazilian club refused to do business, despite interest from numerous clubs, due to their participation in the Copa Libertadores.

Their stance paid off too, with the club reaching the final of that competition. They will face Boca Juniors in early November in what is looking likely to be Andre’s final game.

With their pursuit of Andre ending in disappointment, Liverpool added four midfielders to their ranks during the summer transfer window, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch signing for the Reds in what was a considerable middle-third overhaul.

A fifth addition might seem like overkill, but it could be justified with Thiago Alcantara out of contract at the end of the season.

Bringing in Andre in January would allow him half of a campaign to adapt to life at Anfield without becoming an immediate starter. He could be treated as a luxury player in the short-term before succeeding Thiago in the summer.

He is, in many ways, similar to the former Barcelona midfielder too. He’s primarily a conductor in the centre of the pitch, but he doesn’t shy away from the physical side of things, putting himself about in a bid to regain possession.

© ProShots - Thiago is out of contract at Liverpool next summer

The 22-year-old is extremely progressive with his pass selection and he has the ability to create something out of nothing. Yet he’s also safe with the ball, finding a teammate with 94% of his attempted passes this season.

He understands risk versus reward and regularly makes the right choice. This is a particularly noteworthy trait for someone of his age.

He’s fairly adaptable too. For example, Fluminense tend to play a 4-2-3-1 shape and Andre is deployed as part of a double pivot. However, they will occasionally deploy a 4-4-2 shape and the No.7 has even turned out at centre-back recently.

The one-cap Brazil international is adept playing on both the left and the right side of a double pivot, and he adapts his game depending on his role.

From the left, he’ll favour big switches. From the right, he’s a little more incisive. There’s a lot to like about his game and you can understand why some of the best in the Premier League are keen.

In terms of data, he’s racked up over 4,325 minutes this year. Andre is averaging 69 passes per 90 so is heavily involved in the way Fluminense build out from the back and sustain attacks. He posted similar numbers last year too.

His dribbling technique reminds me of Thiago too. He takes lots of small touches so that he’s able to manipulate the ball at all times. He completes 68% of his attempted take-ons, so you’d probably class him as press resistant.

Despite being just 22, he has appeared in over 100 games for Fluminense. This highlights two things; the quality is there and he’s almost always available.

He’s only 5ft9, he doesn’t compete in many aerial duels (0.92 per 90) and he has just a 50% success rate, so that might be an issue in the Premier League. However, he is extremely combative and his natural game would suit the English top-flight in general.

He would also have to reign it in a little bit in terms of aggression given he’s committing 1.36 fouls per 90 and he’s picked up 14 yellow cards this year.

However, you don’t want to change him too much given his aggressive approach yields results - he averaged close to four interceptions per 90 last term and won 60% of his 5.74 defensive duels.

Liverpool or Arsenal for Andre?

There’s a real role for him at Liverpool as the heir to Thiago. At Arsenal, things are a little more complicated.

Reports suggest the Gunners are looking to offload Thomas Partey and Jorginho in the near future, and Andre could come in to replace Jorginho as the metronome in midfield - the player to link the defensive third with the offensive third.

© ProShots - Arsenal could sell Thomas Partey in 2024

But that might limit him as he’s much more than just a deep-lying playmaker.

It would be intriguing to see what Mikel Arteta does with a player like Andre though given what he’s achieved with technically inferior players within this Arsenal squad.