Liverpool have no interest in Brazil under-20 international Lucas Paqueta, according to a reliable journalist.
David Maddock, who works as a journalist for the Mirror, released the news by means of his personal Twitter account on Sunday afternoon, insisting the Reds were in no way pursuing the young Brazilian’s capture.
Despite widespread reports in Brazil, @LFC have zero interest in Lucas Paqueta. The 20 year old Brazil U20 international is being touted as an alternative to Fekir. Liverpool say that's nonsense.
— David Maddock (@MaddockMirror) June 17, 2018
There has been widespread reports coming out of Brazilian outlet PremiumSportHD, as relayed by the Daily Express, that Jurgen Klopp viewed the 20-year-old maestro as an alternative to Nabil Fekir, whose transfer to Liverpool fell through at the last minute.
However, this news seems to be obsolete, and Liverpool will look to other targets to become Philippe Coutinho’s long-term replacement.
OPINION
For all of Paqueta’s talents, it does not seem likely that he will be Liverpool’s next big-money signing. The Reds are in the market for an eventual replacement for Coutinho, who left Anfield six months ago to join Barcelona. Fekir’s deal falling through will lead to any number of names being linked with Liverpool, but I suspect there is still hope concerning that deal once the World Cup is finished, and the Lyon star’s duties are no longer immediately with France. Paqueta is certainly an interesting talent, and has caught the eye of other high-profile teams such as Manchester City and even Real Madrid, which indicates the extent of his talent. This is the sort of player that Liverpool should be identifying as a potential replacement for Coutinho though, as the 20-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in Brazilian football at the moment. Paqueta was named to Brazil’s 12 man waiting list ahead of the World Cup, indicating how highly thought of he is in his home country, but his next destination is unlikely to be Anfield. His release clause is currently £40million, which could be an off-putting factor for such a young player with limited experience, especially as Liverpool have spent big in recent transfer windows.