Liverpool no longer trust Thiago and target this Argentine player to replace him

The Reds need a top-level holding midfielder for next season.

29/02/2024, 02:46 PM +00:00

Liverpool's 2023/24 season is, so far, perfect. They won the first title of the season, the Carabao Cup, last weekend and have concrete chances to win the other three they are competing for. In fact, this Wednesday they beat Southampton 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, while in the Premier League they are top of the standings and in the UEFA Europa League they are in the round of 16.

But despite those positive results, Jurgen Klopp has struggled to assemble the team week by week due to a problem that seems impossible to solve: injuries. More than a dozen of the squad's players are currently sidelined with physical problems and the coach needs them to recover as soon as possible to be able to face the decisive stage of the season.

One of the stars who has suffered the most from this is Thiago Alcantara. The Spanish midfielder was unable to play for months due to a hip injury and only made his debut this season in February, when he came on for 5 minutes in the defeat against Arsenal. But later he had a muscle problem that has prevented him from playing since then.

Considering that Thiago is 32 years old and his physical condition is not optimal, Liverpool chiefs are looking for a suitable replacement for him. And it seems they have found him in the Portuguese league. According to journalist Germán García Grova, the Reds sent emissaries to Estádio do Dragão last week to watch the match between Porto and Arsenal in the Champions League and analyze Alan Varela's performance.

Who is he?

Varela is a 22-year-old Argentine holding midfielder who came from Boca Juniors, where he played 111 games in 2020 and 2023. His good performances caught the attention of Porto, who last summer paid £9.4 million for him. He has since played 28 games there, with two goals and two assists. According to Transfermarkt, his value is £12 million, although the Portuguese side will surely ask much more for him.