Grêmio are still to receive an offer from Liverpool for 24-year-old forward Luan, a source has informed Sport Witness.
Despite recent reports from The Mirror saying the clubs are keen on finding a deal, with a Liverpool transfer made to sound close, the claimed talks are still to turn into something serious.
A source from inside the Brazilian club has described the rumour as “just smoke, nothing concrete” at this stage.
It’s also understood that Grêmio are not setting a minimum price for the player, so despite their interest in selling, the intention is to keep negotiating with any interested parties, with no rush to cash in.
With the Copa Libertadores ending at the end of the calendar year, Grêmio would also have no intention to sell the player before the final or until they get knocked out. That’s why they will not bow to pressure to say yes to an early bid, from Liverpool or anyone else.
Luan’s contract expires next year and a new deal has been negotiated between Grêmio and his agent. But a contract extension would not interfere in a sale, and is more to give the player the security of a longer contract.
Grêmio already went through the same situation with Leicester City last year, when an official offer was never made, and are preparing themselves in case the same thing happens again.
When these claims are made in England, they’re taken very seriously in Brazil, often more seriously than they should be. Luan to Liverpool has therefore been a big story over the weekend, with some confusion as to why things are being reported as close.
