Liverpool target Evanilson addresses claims he’s being chased by Klopp

Fluminese striker Evanilson has suggested he is happy with the Brazilian club but appears to be keeping an open mind after the young striker was linked with a January switch to Liverpool.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is understood to be seeking reinforcements up front as the club build up for what they hope will be a push for four trophies in the second half of the season. As a result, over the weekend it was claimed Evanilson was the man Liverpool wanted.

The forward could be available for nothing with his contract expiring in February 2020 – making his capture a low-risk gamble for Liverpool to take.

And with Brazilian outlet Netflu claiming Liverpool had watched him in action, a second source in the country, UOL, on Tuesday claimed the Reds have made contact with the player’s representatives over a potential switch to Anfield in the new year.

The 20-year-old striker would link up with compatriots Alisson and Roberto Firmino at Anfield and, being able to play across the frontline, would compete with Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi for a place in the attack.

Evanilson scored his first two goals as a professional as Fluminese beat Corinthians in the final round of fixtures of the Brazilian league and following the game, the young attacker spoke about his future and the claims Liverpool want to sign him.

“Let’s see. The league is over now. I’ll see with my agent,” he said, in quotes reported by Sport Witness.

“Let’s sit down with Fluminense’s board and sort the best situation for me. We’ve been negotiating for a long time. We are seeing what is best.

“These goals help a lot. I’m waiting to see what will happen. I don’t know. I can’t talk yet. It’s a club that opened its doors to me. I’m very happy and I really want to stay.”

While reports claim that Klopp sees Evanilson as one for the future, it’s claimed he could be thrust into the first-team limelight sooner than expected with young striker Rhian Brewster likely to be shipped out to either Swansea or Aston Villa on loan in January in order to gain more first-team experience.

The Merseysiders are said to have been keeping an eye on Evanilson’s form all season for the Brazil Serie A side and now it seems they could be ready to make their move.

The Reds are currently eight points clear at the top of the Premier League as they target their first top-flight title success in 30 years.

 

Klopp, meanwhile, has said that it “wouldn’t make a lot of sense” for the club to bring in a defensive addition in January.

“How can you be short of centre halves when you have four centre halves plus Fabinho? Only Fabinho is injured, Matip is injured and Dejan Lovren had a problem, yes,” the manager said.

“We will not sign a centre half because of injuries – that is the world outside who thinks we are short and we have to do it – but afterwards we would have six centre halves and that wouldn’t make a lot of sense.

“And you need quality. You can’t have just somebody [for the sake of it] – I am somebody, I am tall, not quick, but I look like a centre half at least.”

Liverpool, meanwhile, are firmly in the running to sign not one, but TWO, world superstars, according to reports in France.