Liverpool are reportedly among several Premier League clubs watching a South American wonderkid who’s drawn comparisons with a modern-day Argentina icon.
According to Graeme Bailey for TBR Football, the Reds have shown an interest in Velez Sarsfield winger Thiago Fernandez, who’s also caught the attention of Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton.
It’s claimed that the Premier League is the likeliest destination for the 20-year-old, who scouts have compared with ex-Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria.
In his first season as a regular in Velez Sarsfield’s senior side, Fernandez has accrued a respectable tally of five goals and eight assists in 30 matches from the left flank (Transfermarkt).
Bailey describes the 20-year-old as ‘a tall yet elegant player who carries the ball smoothly and packs a punch from range’ and ‘has been known to score the odd free-kick’ (TBR Football).
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For the youngster to earn comparisons with Di Maria is a testament to his enormous potential – forget the 36-year-old’s abortive spell at Old Trafford a decade ago; he showed in his time at Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (as well as Argentina) that he was a world-class operator at his peak.
The scale of interest in Fernandez hints at just how coveted a player he is and how magnificent he could become, although if Liverpool were to sign him, we’d imagine that he’d be loaned elsewhere for a year or two (possibly to a club involved in European competiton) given the fierce competition for places in our attack.
Nonetheless, he seems to be a prodigious talent worth keeping an eye on over the coming months to see if he can live up to the sizeable reputation that he’s already earning.
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