Liverpool could repeat Diaz transfer trick with £26.3m midfielder as Real Madrid plan hijack – opinion | OneFootball

If rumours are to be believed, there’s a very real possibility that Real Madrid could win the race for another midfield target potentially less than a year after beating out Liverpool to Aurelien Tchouameni.

We’re not talking about Jude Bellingham in this instance – though Los Blancos are thought to be likewise keen on the Borussia Dortmund prodigy – but rather 21-year-old Flamengo star Joao Gomes.

VOTE for Empire of the Kop as Best Club Content Creator (Premier League) here: Football Content Awards OR on Twitter with the FCA’s one-click Twitter link with: I am voting for @Empireofthekop in @The_FCAs for #BestClubContentCreator (Premier League)

According to ESPN’s Martin Liberman on Twitter, Carlo Ancelotti’s men are already preparing a €30m (£26.3m) move for the talented Brazilian.

It’s a player that we know Liverpool have already sent scouts to observe, so there is interest on our side, though, much in a similar vein to Real Madrid’s potential move, it’s unclear when, if at all, we’ll be prepared to evolve that interest into a bid of some kind.

We’re no longer the club that would be bullied so ruthlessly in the market when it came to our own top stars and those on our recruitment team’s shortlist, and Julian Ward and Co. won’t be pushed into making a move that doesn’t feel right for the club.

That being said, if the understanding is that the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A man has the talent ceiling to make the grade at Anfield – even if, as Fabrizio Romano puts it, ‘he needs some steps before being ready for Liverpool level’ – would it not be a mistake to allow Real Madrid to steal a march here?

In recent history, we have seen the club active transfer plans several months in advance when it becomes clear a transfer hijacking could be about to take place – as notably occurred with the acquisition of former FC Porto ace Luis Diaz.

READ MORE: Liverpool coach amazed by ‘excellent’ Reds star who has been ‘first-class’ in training

A failed £86m bid for Federico Valverde (24), according to a report from Artur Petrosyan, should stand as a stark warning for Liverpool.

We can’t afford to allow a player like Gomes, or any other that also catches the eyes of the Champions League holders, to bridge the development gap in the Spanish capital.

At 21 years of age, and set to turn 22 before the next summer window, we’d be investing in a young star that fits exactly within our ideal age profile.

If we’re convinced the midfielder can make an impact on Merseyside, Madrid’s valuation of £26.3m (if to Flamengo’s liking) is hardly a huge gamble.

EOTK INSIDER: Liverpool look in a strong position to make January midfield signing, Bellingham update… and more