According to AS, Liverpool had a bid for Matheus Cunha rejected by Atlético Madrid before the Reds decided to target Luis Diaz instead.
What’s the story?
Well, it seems Diaz wasn’t the first choice at Liverpool.
AS believe the Reds made a bid for Cunha, who only joined Atlético Madrid in August for a fee of €30m (£25m).
Sat behind Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann in the pecking order, the Brazilian has made just three starts in La Liga.
As a result, AS state that Cunha was tempted by the prospect of joining Liverpool, although Diego Simeone intends to keep him at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Atlético Madrid are said to have big plans for the 22-year-old, and there were celebrations within the Spanish club when Liverpool turned their attention to Diaz.
Despite his lack of action, Cunha has impressed this season with five goals and three assists.
Liverpool should sign Luis Diaz and Matheus Cunha
In our view, this shouldn’t be the end of Liverpool’s interest in Cunha.
He appears to be the ideal heir to Roberto Firmino at Anfield, as the Atlético Madrid forward adopts a very similar playing style.
Interestingly, it was the Bundesliga’s official website who made the comparison, which speaks volumes – both men have impressed in Germany’s top-flight, so they are well known to fans of German football.
Specifically, Cunha is likened to Firmino as he is always on the move, and tends to drop deep into a ‘false nine’ role to link the midfield to the attack.
That is exactly what Klopp demands of Firmino, and it works well as Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah thrive off the space his movement creates.
Keep an eye on Cunha’s situation, as we have a feeling this saga may not be over yet despite Liverpool’s bid being rejected.
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