Alexis McAllister became the latest South American player to join Liverpool earlier this month, adding to an already well-represented contingent.
While Roberto Firmino (and Artur Melo) could leave the Reds this summer, Jurgen Klopp can still call on the services of Brazil internationals Alisson Becker and Fabinho, Colombia’s Luis Diaz and Uruguay’s Darwin Nunes.
To date, 20 South Americans have played first-team football for Liverpool, with Mack Allister set to be the 21st, and young goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga may also be looking to add his name to such a list in the not-too-distant future. It’s true that not all of them have been success stories, but when you consider names like Luis Suarez, Javier Mascherano, Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Leiva alongside the current South American quota, it’s clear that some of the Reds’ best stars in the Premier League have left the continent.
Yet McAllister’s arrival has also shed further light on the quiet discontent simmering beneath the Anfield stages. Even though Liverpool signed a great player and a World Cup winner no less for a bargain fee of around £35m from Brighton & Hove Albion, why do they still require the use of an intermediary when the then 20-year-old midfielder was snapped up for just £6. 9 million when the Seagulls signed him from Argentinos Juniors in January 2019?
Of course, such reasoning extends beyond McAllister when you look at the number of South Americans who have made an impact in the Premier League when plucked straight from the continent.
Manchester City boast one of the most successful examples of such business, signing Julian Alvarez from River Plate for an initial £14m in January 2022. In his first season in England, the 23-year-old scored 17 goals, while got him in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, as well as the World Cup with Argentina.
Pep Guardiola will return to Argentina a year later to sign 20-year-old midfielder Maximo Perrone from Velez Sarsfield for £8m, while they lured Caiki from Fluminense for an initial £8.5m in April 2021. True , that such players may not make a direct impact at the Etihad, but the club can loan them out and sell them for a profit.
Douglas Luiz is a good example of this, with City banking £15m from Aston Villa in the summer of 2019 after snapping up the Brazilian for £10.7m from Vasco de Gama two years earlier, only to not kick a ball for a club and being sent out on loan after being refused a work permit. Meanwhile, after receiving five-and-a-half years from Gabriel Jesus after signing him from Palmeiras for £27m in January 2017, they would have made an estimated £20m profit when they sold the striker to Arsenal last summer.
The Gunners themselves have two great examples of such business, with Gabriel Martinelli one of the most feared strikers in the Premier League despite still being just 21. Arsenal spent just £6m when they signed the striker from Ituano in July 2019 Mr.
Meanwhile, bringing in Emiliano Martinez on a youth contract from Independiente after a successful run in 2010, they pocketed £20m in selling the goalkeeper to Aston Villa 10 years later.
Elsewhere in the Premier League last season, Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Gomes impressed for Southampton and Wolves respectively. Aged 20 and 22, the former joined for £12m from Racing Club in January, while the Brazilian cost £15m from Flamengo the same month.
If you don’t land a talented player directly from South America, you may have to spend big, as Chelsea found out for themselves in January. Enzo Fernandez was linked with a move to the Premier League, including Liverpool, last summer but joined Benfica for an estimated £15m. Six months and one World Cup win later, the 22-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge for £106.8m.
And then there’s Brighton, with Mc Allister just one of a number of impressive South Americans to catch the eye in their ranks in recent years.
Paraguayan international Julio Enciso joined from Libertad for £9.5m last summer and 18-year-old Facundo Buonanotte joined in January for £5.3m from Rosario Central. Although both are still teenagers, they will still make an impact on Roberto De Zerbi’s side in their first seasons in England.
Apart from them, Pervis Estipinán has been one of their star performers since the Ecuador international joined in a £15m deal from Villarreal last August.
Yet Moises Caicedo remains the star attraction. Brighton parted with just £4.5m when they signed the midfielder from Ecuadorian Independiente del Valle in February 2021. Sent out on loan to Belgian side Beerschot the following August, he returned to the Amex Stadium the following January as his loan was cut short and haven’t looked back since.
After rejecting £70m bids for the Ecuador international from Arsenal in January, the Seagulls are ready to demand £100m for his services this summer, with recent reports suggesting Chelsea are leading the chase.
Liverpool are admirers of the 21-year-old but are not expected to make a move themselves. However, Target reported in January that there had been “internal discussions” at Anfield, asking why they weren’t for the midfielder when he left Ecuador in 2019.
The South American market is clearly strong, with a growing number of success stories in the Premier League. And the fact that so many people find themselves able to make the leap at such a young age without a ‘middle step’ is certainly an intriguing prospect for England’s recruitment teams.
Having just spent around £35m on Mac Allister, Liverpool were encouraged to follow in the footsteps of Man City or Brighton and tap the South American market more directly. While £35m hardly breaks the bank at Anfield, it doesn’t sound as good as signing the Argentina international for £6.9m four years ago.
But as the Reds’ summer midfield overhaul continues, recent speculation suggests they could actually do just that after a new name was added to their reported target list.
Reports in Argentina claim Liverpool are one of a number of sides interested in Boca Juniors’ Alan Varela and recently scouted the midfielder in the Argentine outfit’s 1-0 win over Tigre last month.
Varela, who has also been linked with both Newcastle United and Barcelona and appears to have been the subject of an inquiry from Bournemouth in January, has been dubbed ‘the next Sergio Busquets’ by Spanish news sport. Meanwhile, despite only being 21, he has already registered over 100 career appearances for Boca since being handed his senior debut in December 2020, and has helped them win the Primera Division title in 2022. along with the Copa de la Liga Profesional and the Supercopa Argentina (think League Cup and Community Shield).
Primarily a defensive midfielder who is considered strong in both passing and returning the ball, Liverpool were linked with the Argentine back in March. Football Insider admitted the Reds have an interest in the player, who could emerge as a potential long-term replacement for Fabinho, and said a bid of £16m-£20m would be enough to secure his services ahead of a potential summer exit. However, reports suggest he has a release clause of £11.7m.
If Liverpool do target Varela, they could be helped by the new Premier League transfer rules. The Home Office has approved changes which will see clubs now able to bring in up to four foreign players per season who do not meet the current points requirements of the international visa system.
The FA said the move “provides additional access to outstanding international talent that falls outside the current GBE criteria”, which includes the number of international appearances and domestic league minutes a player has played. Although Varela has been a regular at Boca Juniors for the past three seasons, he remains capped by Argentina above U20 level.
Whether Varela will emerge as a genuine target for Liverpool remains to be seen, but the South American market is one that the club’s recruitment team will have an increasing eye on regardless. And with recent transfer rule changes making it easier for Premier League sides to bring in young foreign talent, the Reds could soon follow in the footsteps of Man City and Brighton and eliminate transfer brokers themselves in search of proven deals.
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