Premier League and Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton are both reportedly interested in FC Porto’s Brazilian centre-back Eder Militao.
Eder Militao has plenty of admirers on Merseyside.
The Brazilian defender only arrived at Porto in August from Sao Paulo for £3.75 million, but he already looks set to earn the Primeira Liga champions a major profit in the near future.
According to UOL Esporte, Everton had sent scouts to watch Eder in action during the autumn, while the Sun has credited Liverpool with an interest in a player who has already forced his way into the Brazil national team at the age of just 20.
The report had claimed that Eder could be available for £42.5 million due to a clause in the contract he only signed five months ago, but O Jogo has shed fresh light on the situation on Friday.
It is understood that this £42.5 million clause will only come into effect in the summer. If anyone wants to sign Eder this month, they will have to pay a much bigger fee – a remarkable £68 million.
Liverpool have shown a willingness to spend huge fees in recent times, notably making Virgil van Dijk the world’s most expensive defender 12 months ago when they paid Southampton £75 million for his services.
Everton, meanwhile, have broken their transfer record in each of the last three years, with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri showing plenty of ambition in the transfer market.
But it surely makes more sense to leave Eder at Porto for now and return at the end of the season, when he will be about £25 million cheaper.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
