According to SportWitness via Portuguese publication Record, Liverpool have launched ‘informal contact’ with Sporting to discuss the signing of Pedro Goncalves, better known as Pote.
Record report that Sporting, who sit top of the Portuguese Premier League table by a relatively comfy four points, are completely against a January sale, the chance to cash in is only expected this summer.
It’s added that Goncalves or Pote – time will tell which is more popular – holds a release clause of €60m. The 22-year-old has massively impressed since signing from Famalicao for €6.5m in the summer.
SportWitness add that Goncalves is pleased by interest from English clubs, the talent has unsettled business here after being sold by Wolves in the summer of 2019 after a brief two-year stay.
Record reiterate that contact from Liverpool is informal at this moment in time, with transfer negotiations not becoming concrete at this stage.
Record noted how Goncalves filled the void left by Man United superstar Bruno Fernandes in a report a couple of months ago, with the Sunday World also echoing the notion that Pote is the next Bruno.
The attacking midfielder also known as Pote has tore apart the Portuguese top-flight this season, sitting top of the division’s goalscoring charts by a factor of five already.
Goncalves has netted 12 goals in 13 league games, with the all-action attacker also adding two assists.
Goncalves is a versatile attacking midfielder, the ace sees most of his action as a right-sided central attacking midfielder – he’s in between the flanks and the middle of the pitch as Ruben Amorim’s side deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation.
The Portugal Under-21s international – who is on the brink of making a serious case to land in the senior squad – played as a more traditional central midfielder 31 times last season, with Pote also being called on as a defensive midfielder a couple of times during his senior career and time with Wolves’ reserves.
Sporting have not won the top-flight since the 2001/02 season, when Goncalves wasn’t even four years old yet, the starlet is now a key cog in a side that have a solid chance of ending this barren run.