Premier League giants Liverpool are now in advanced talks to bring Otavio to England this week with Jurgen Klopp a huge fan of the Porto play-maker, as reported by A Bola.
When Otavio put pen to paper on a new £50,000-a-week contract at the Estadio do Dragao just three months ago, Porto fans probably thought they could sleep a little easier when the summer rolled around.
Think again.
Because, even with the ink still drying on that new deal, Otavio looks closer to leaving than ever.
Whoever said contracts weren’t worth the paper they’re written on?
Liverpool’s sudden interest in the Brazilian dynamo has changed everything, with an opportunity to take Gini Wijnaldum’s place at Anfield seemingly too good to turn down for a man entering his prime.
A Bola reports that Klopp is a keen admirer of 26-year-old Otavio.
That might have something to do with the fact that, over the last two seasons, the gifted attacking midfielder has produced an impressive 27 assists; with a tally of 20 yellow cards over the same period showing that he is not afraid to get stuck in when required either.
He’s as much a destroyer as he is a dictator.
Will Otavio become a Liverpool player in the next 48 hours?
The report adds that Otavio has a £35 million release clause in his contract; one that will rise to £51 million at the end of this month.
With that in mind, Liverpool are hoping to speed things up in order to get the one-time Internacional youngster through the door before Thursday, when his price-tag will swell by some £16 million.
It is fair to say, then, that Liverpool don’t exactly have time on their side.
The 2020 Premier League champions do have a trick up their sleeve, though, in the shape of a talented Serbian.
Marko Grujic was a big hit on loan at Porto last season. And it is believed the Reds could now use a man who became Klopp’s first Anfield signing back in 2017 as a makeweight in a deal that would see Otavio go in the other direction (A Bola).
Otavio has also been linked with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City in recent months.
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