In a recent print edition, Record stated that Liverpool are locked in a three-way battle for Porto midfielder Alan Varela. It has been claimed that the Reds could face competition from Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign the Argentine midfield ace this summer.
Varela’s Impressive Run Of Form In Portuguese Football
Varela is having a solid season at the Portuguese club after putting in a handful of impressive performances for them in the middle of the park. The South American talent has participated in 31 matches for Porto during this campaign, netting two goals and picking up two assists across all competitions.
The 22-year-old has anchored the midfield with conviction as he is averaging 1.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 1.0 shots and 0.8 key passes per game in the Liga Portugal. He has even been accurate when distributing the ball from midfield after completing 89.7% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Portuguese football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Portuguese club will expire in the summer of 2028 which could make it difficult for the Reds to get a deal done for him at the end of this campaign.
Is Varela A Decent Choice For Liverpool?
Varela is a tough-tackling midfielder who can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is a tidy passer of the ball as well. The Argentine sensation can even shoot the ball with venom from long range. He is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also operate as a box-to-box midfielder if told to do so.
Varela will add more quality to Liverpool‘s midfield department. He has what it takes to fight for a regular first-team place at Anfield next season. At 22, the future looks quite bright for the Argentine midfielder, so the Reds will do well to snap him up in the summer.
However, there are some question marks over whether Varela can maintain his good form in Premier League football. Still, the pros outweigh the cons of recruiting a player of his quality. Varela will only get better in the coming years which makes him a good choice for Liverpool to consider later this year.
