da esoccer bet： Two years ago, Liverpool were firing on all cylinders and pushing for silverware across all four fronts, and despite the dismal 2022/23 campaign that is best discarded into the ether, it appears that Jurgen Klopp has guided his side to a similar position.
da dobrowin： While it would be ludicrous to start talking about a four-trophy haul this season, the Reds do top the Premier League table after 20 matches, are within touching distance of Wembley in the Carabao Cup, and have advanced in both the FA Cup and Europa League.
The sweeping summer changes to the midfield have been crucial in this revival, and while the going has been good, further improvements could be made and Klopp still could return for a touted summer target.
Liverpool transfer news – Andre
Fulham manager Marco Silva has recently claimed that his club is husbanding its resources this month, casting doubt onto a bid for Brazilian midfielder Andre.
Liverpool were desperate to sign the 22-year-old Fluminense star back in the summer but failed to convince him to join, and now journalist Victor Nessa has revealed that the Brasileiro Serie A outfit are worried that they will be unable to sell the player this month.
Allegedly, Fluminense want €35m (£30m) for Andre and Liverpool could still make a move, though having signed Wataru Endo in the summer, it remains to be seen if more funds will be invested this month.
Wataru Endo's season so far
With Andre remaining in his homeland to attempt to win the Copa Libertadores (which, to be fair, he did), Klopp shifted his attention to Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, but losing out to Chelsea in both races led to the £16m signing of Stuttgart star Endo.
It was met with surprise from some and flat-out incredulity from others, but Liverpool knew what they were doing and the Japan international, aged 30, has grown into his skin over the past few months and is now an important member of the squad.
Playing 24 times across all competitions, scoring twice and registering an assist, Endo has started the past six Premier League fixtures in a row, though is now absent while he competes at the Asia Cup.
Hailed as a "proper warrior and leader" by Bundesliga commentator Kevin Thatchard, Endo is tenacious, committed and combative, and his underrated ability at the anchor of the midfield has allowed him to play a key role in this exciting campaign.
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But if Liverpool were to forge ahead with a move for Andre, might Klopp's unsung hero find himself hindered in his progress on the Anfield pitch?
Andre's style of play
Described as a "monster" by journalist Fernando Campos, Andre chalked up 60 appearances in Brazil's 2023 campaign and played an instrumental role in his side's successes.
Across 31 league outings, as per Sofascore, he completed 95% of his passes, averaged 1.8 tackles and 6.9 ball recoveries per match and succeeded with 70% of his dribbles and 60% of his ground duels.
It is this level of robustness and action in the centre of the park that had left Liverpool so eager to complete a transfer in the summer, and while the midfield is now ostensibly complete on Merseyside, there is still room for such a talented player – especially with Thiago Alcantara out of contract at the end of the campaign.
As per FBref, the phenom ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Brazilian top-flight for pass completion and passes attempted and the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90.
With such a supreme understanding of distribution and fluency and progression in his play, Andre might be a custom-made fit at Liverpool, ensuring it would be a move of negative consequence for Endo at the base of the midfield.