In a recent report, Record revealed that Liverpool have made informal contact to land Sporting CP playmaker Pedro Goncalves. However, it is believed that the Portuguese giants want to retain the services of their prized asset and are willing to give him a pay-rise to tie him down to a new contract which could make it difficult for the Reds to recruit him this summer (via Record).
Goncalves’ Impressive Form In Portuguese Football This Season
The 22-year-old is having a sensational season in Portuguese football as he has put in a series of productive displays as a key member of Ruben Amorim’s frontline. Goncalves has banged in 20 goals and grabbed five assists in 36 appearances for the Liga NOS champions this term across all competitions.
The Chaves-born sensation has influenced the game at both ends of the field after completing 1.5 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 2.4 shots, 1.5 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game in the Liga NOS this season. The Portuguese sensation could improve his accuracy when distributing the ball based on his pass completion rate of 75.3% in the Portuguese top tier (stats via whoscored).
At 22, Goncalves is only getting started and could be in for a very bright future in European football, so the Reds would be wise to engineer a move to bring him to Anfield during this summer transfer window.
Will Goncalves Be The Right Fit For Liverpool?
Goncalves has decent pace in his locker and can make some clever runs in the opposition half. He is proficient at getting stuck in with some crunching tackles and can also create space for himself to create a goal-scoring chance for a teammate or get a shot in on-target himself.
The Portuguese attacker has proven his worth by scoring and creating his fair share of goals in the final third. However, he could find it difficult to maintain his high standards in the Premier League where he might struggle to cope with the physical nature of English football.
Even then, recruiting Goncalves would be a good move for the Merseyside outfit as he has what it takes to be an influential squad player under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp next season. The Portuguese youngster will add more goals and offer some healthy competition for Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino at Anfield in the coming seasons.
At this stage of his playing career, Goncalves would be a great fit for Liverpool because of his incredible versatility and goal-scoring numbers in the attacking end of the field. He has the potential to grow into a future star in Premier League football, so Klopp should consider getting him on board in this off-season if he wants to have a strong squad capable of challenging for multiple trophies in the years to come.
