‘I’ll be amazed if…’ – Neil Jones reveals what he ‘was told’ about 23y/o who ‘Liverpool have liked’

18.07.2023 13:46

Empire of The Kop

Neil Jones has revealed that Liverpool ‘have liked’ Florentino Luis as a player and said that he’d be ‘amazed’ if the 23-year-old’s name hasn’t been discussed among the Anfield hierarchy.The Benfica midfielder was cited by the journalist as someone for Reds fans to ‘look out for’ in terms of potential replacements for Fabinho if the […]

The post ‘I’ll be amazed if…’ – Neil Jones reveals what he ‘was told’ about 23y/o who ‘Liverpool have liked’ appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

The Benfica midfielder was cited by the journalist as someone for Reds fans to ‘look out for’ in terms of potential replacements for Fabinho if the Brazilian departs for Al-Ittihad in the near future.

The reporter also told Empire of the Kop’s Substack that the Portuguese talent is stylistically quite similar to the 29-year-old he could theoretically replace in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Jones elaborated on the chances of Liverpool making a move for Florentino when speaking to The Redmen TV‘s Journo Insight Show, saying: “I think he’s a player that Liverpool have liked certainly, and they’re not alone. Manchester United are another one definitely that have looked at him.

“I asked about Florentino Luís maybe springtime. It was told to me that Liverpool and Manchester United like this player. I was told, ‘Yeah, but no, we don’t need him.’ That’s changed obviously.

“Benfica and Porto are the two best-selling clubs in terms of developing talent for a couple of years and getting incredible fees. How much would you have to pay to get him?

“I spoke to his former coach João Tralhão and he said he’s like a Fabinho, a Casemiro. He gets through untold amounts of work – big, long legs, wins headers, gets stuck in, wins tackles. Certainly, in the group stage of the Champions League, I think he was the top for tackles and interceptions per-90.

“I wouldn’t say I expect Liverpool to go in for him at all, but I’ll be amazed if his name hasn’t come up in conversations. It has previously over scouting. I would be amazed if it hasn’t come up since this came about.”

Jones has been quite vocal in recent days about advocating Florentino as a player who’d be worth considering for Liverpool if Fabinho were to leave, given that the Reds would only have 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic as a natural number 6 if the Brazilian moves to Al-Ittihad.

Like the journalist has said, the landscape of LFC’s summer transfer window has been altered in recent days by the prospective exits of the 29-year-old and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia, with Klopp’s midfield at risk of looking light if both of those move on from Merseyside.

The Benfica powerhouse’s statistics from last season made for very good reading. He averaged more interceptions per game (3.2) than anyone else in the Champions League group stage, while only 16 players topped his average of three tackles per match (WhoScored).

Those figures look even more impressive when you consider that he came up against Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain in that phase of the competition, so Florentino has proven that he can handle some of the foremost attacks in European and indeed world football.

Jones is quite right in saying that it’d be incomprehensible if the 23-year-old’s name hasn’t been mentioned in the corridors of the Anfield boardroom as a player worth targeting this summer, particularly if Fabinho departs.

#Ep80 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Fabinho & Jordan Henderson… going, going, gone?