Fluminense have now confirmed that Liverpool tried to sign André in the summer transfer window.
The Reds’ attempt was detailed by club president Mario Bittencourt, who was interviewed by ESPN Brasil show Bola da Vez this week.
In quotes relayed by O Globo, he started by explaining that it was always agreed the player would not leave the club this summer.
“There is an agreement between us, with the player and representative, that he will stay until the end of the year and they fully comply with it and with the greatest tranquility. What they did is work as a representative of the athlete that he is: every poll that arrives they communicate Fluminense.”
Then he explained how the talks with Liverpool went, claiming the Reds could still come again for André by the end of the year.
“The Executive Director of Liverpool contacted me directly. And I replied to him: ‘My friend, I don’t sell a player now and I don’t deliver now. If you want to buy now to take him in January, we can start talking, or if you want to wait until December, and we’ll talk about it in December’.”
According to reports from Brazil during the summer window, Liverpool wanted to buy André for €30m. That’s a quite fair price for players who are moving from Brazil to Europe.
The Reds, however, faced that old problem which is to get the signing in the middle of the South American season. Fluminense have a good team and are fighting for big things, such as the Copa Libertadores, and wouldn’t sell him in the middle of their campaign.
Now with André in the national team, Liverpool should be aware of the bigger competition for him.
