FC Porto star Otavio isn’t certain whether he was a main target for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the transfer window, speaking to Record ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League clash at the Estadio do Dragao.
The presence of a tenacious, technically gifted attacking midfielder in Sergio Conceicao’s side will provide another sub-plot ahead of an already intriguing clash between two sides who faced off in 2019 and 2018.
At the end of June, A Bola reported Liverpool were in advanced talks over a deal that would have seen Otavio swap Porto for Anfield in a deal worth about £35 million.
Things went quiet after that, however, with Ibrahima Konate Liverpool’s only big-name summer signing – much to the frustration of many on the red half of Merseyside.
And while Otavio will be desperate to make his mark when Klopp and co come to town, the diminutive 26-year-old is in the dark regarding links with the 2019 European Champions.
Otavio unsure whether he was a realistic target for Liverpool
“Whether they were interested or not, I don’t know,” says a man who has also been linked with Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in recent transfer windows.
“But if there is any team interested in me, it would be for my work in both the league and the Champions League. We always have to give our best regardless of the competition.”
If Otavio was sitting on the fence regarding transfer speculation, he was quick to point out where he sees Liverpool’s threat, however.
“(Liverpool) are pretty straightforward – three fast players up front and three powerful midfielders. We know their quality (but) speed of the forwards and the power of midfield, I think that’s the biggest danger.”
On the subject of “danger”, a Liverpool side that conceded three at newly promoted Brentford on Saturday can’t afford to switch off for a second with Otavio around.
Since the start of the 2019/20 season, Otavio has provided 30 assists in all competitions – more than Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Mo Salah.
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