Liverpool are in the hunt to sign dazzling Sporting CP maestro Gelson Martins according to the Telegraph, and they must brush aside their Premier League rivals in order to land their man.
Arsenal are also understood to have been targeting the Portuguese international but they now face a battle with Liverpool to sign the player that is one of the talking points of the Premier League.
The report says that the jet-heeled 23-year-old recently ripped up his contract at the Liga NOS outfit following altercations from fans, and he is now available on a free transfer – so it could not be easier for the Reds to snap him up imminently.
A number of Portuguese players have made the move to the top-flight recently, such as Rui Patricio to Wolves, and Liverpool needs to make sure another player is added to that list.
Scoring eight goals and laying on nine assists in Portugal’s top flight, Martins’ creativity and flair will certainly make Liverpool a formidable title contender.
Liverpool do not lack creativity with the likes of Roberto Firmino in the squad, but add that bit more in the shape of the young Portuguese and Klopp will be onto a title-winning combination.
Mo Salah needs somebody else to support him to get those all important goals, and Martins’ ability to run at defenders will prove useful in both assisting Salah and contributing goals himself, without being selfish.
The combined attacking force of Salah, Firmino, Mane and Martins is enough to scare any opponent on paper alone, and the reality would be lethal – and would leave teams like Manchester City biting their nails at the prospect of a tight title race.
Liverpool must convince the Portuguese flyer to move to Anfield, or this may be Klopp’s biggest regret of the summer if he ends up joining a club from the top six.