Transfer News: Liverpool interested in Pedro Goncalves

Liverpool are reportedly among the clubs interested in Portuguese international Pedro Goncalves, who is set to cost around €80 million.

According to Record, as relayed by Sport Witness, Pedro Goncalves has become a subject of interest from the Liverpool camp. The Premier League giants are closely monitoring the Portuguese international’s progress at Sporting CP, with an eye for a potential move next summer.

However, Sporting have already made big moves to ensure a long-term future for their star player. They tied the 23-year-old forward down to a new contract last season, which apparently has a release clause of €80 million. The Portuguese champions are not expected to budge for anything less, especially with his contract not expiring until 2026.

A right-winger by trade, Goncalves has truly been a revelation since joining Sporting last summer. In his first season at the club, he scored 23 league goals, helping the Lions win their first Primeira Liga title since 2002.

The 23-year-old’s ability to create goalscoring opportunities, and more importantly, finding himself in scoring situations has been a major asset to Sporting’s game. It had even earned him a place in the Portugal squad that featured in UEFA Euro 2020, although he was not involved in a single game in the competition.

It is apparent that Goncalves’s contributions have not gone unnoticed, with Liverpool now considering a move for the Portuguese international for next summer.

The former SC Braga starlet appears to have been identified as a potential long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, whose future has come under doubt due to an expiring contract next summer. Former defender Jamie Carragher has already urged the Liverpool board to meet the Egyptian’s demands and tie him down to a long-term contract, but there has been no progress so far.

In addition to sorting Salah’s future, Liverpool are in need of attacking reinforcements. They do not have too many quality alternatives for their star wingers and that is where Pedro Goncalves could prove to be a sensible option.

However, a fee of €80 million could be out of Liverpool’s price range, so the Reds could end up looking elsewhere. The Reds do not any shortage of alternatives either, having been linked with a swoop for Harvey Barnes while Ismaila Sarr of Watford was rumoured as another option for the Merseyside giants.