Liverpool could make a move for Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis during the summer transfer window, according to a key update from reliable journalist Neil Jones.
Who is Florentino Luis?
The 23-year-old is currently a key man for Benfica, proving to be an influential figure sitting in front of the defence and shining in the No.6 role. Last season, Luis featured in 33 of his side's Primeira Liga matches, starting 25 of them, and he averaged 2.5 tackles per game in the competition, as well as completing 90.1% of his passes. In total, he has appeared 86 times for the Portuguese giants, maturing all the time and becoming a very strong player for them.
With Fabinho looking almost certain to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia this summer, and Jordan Henderson also likely to go the same way, the Reds will be in desperate need of further reinforcements in the middle of the park, having already brought in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively.
Could Liverpool sign Florentino Luis?
Speaking on his YouTube channel [via Empire of the Kop], Jones talked up Luis as a possible signing for Liverpool this summer, potentially coming in as Fabinho's replacement:
"A name that I would urge you to look out for is Florentino Luis, who plays for Benfica. I think he’s one who could come into consideration. He’s a very Fabinho-type player in terms of defensive midfielder, gets about the pitch, gets his foot in, strong in the tackle, really good defensively. If Liverpool are looking for a like-for-like replacement for Fabinho, they could do a lot worse than look at Florentino Luis.
"Just keep an eye on that name. I haven’t heard if there’s anything moving yet in that regard but it’s certainly one I would keep in mind."
Luis could be precisely what Liverpool are looking for when aiming to fill the Fabinho-shaped void in front of the defence, coming in as a younger version of him who can excel at Anfield in the same way the Brazilian has over the past five years.
The 12-cap Portugal Under-21 international could feel that he has outgrown Benfica at this point in his career, and the lure of playing under Jurgen Klopp could also be too great to turn down.
Granted, Luis is far from the only rumoured Liverpool midfield target, with a host of other names on the list, from Romeo Lavia to Khephren Thuram, but he is an exciting option whose best years should still be ahead of him.
Former Benfica youth coach Joao Tralhao has waxed lyrical over Luis in the past, further highlighting why he could be a fantastic option for the Reds:
“He has the talent and quality to play in elite teams. Remember when Real Madrid had the Galacticos? They needed someone to balance the team, and [Claude] Makelele was so important. More recently, Casemiro did that job, allowing [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Luka] Modric and [Karim] Benzema to attack. Florentino has those capabilities. He’s having an amazing season under Roger Schmidt."
Liverpool could be wise to at least consider a move for the Benfica ace, as this crucial summer window at Anfield continues, and it is imperative that they nail their business following a disappointing 2022/23 campaign.