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The reality is that he might have been in the summer and Liverpool certainly could have done with a midfielder of his profile — or indeed of any profile — then. The next best thing would be to get him in January, completing the Liverpool midfield — at least until Jude Bellingham is (ideally) the other missing piece in the jigsaw at some point in 2023.
There are other examples — Darwin Núñez being another, also brought in from Benfica — where Liverpool let other teams take the initial risk, knowing that for the right price, the player will be attainable in future.
As with others like Moisés Caicedo, who went to Brighton, they have chosen to reduce the risk of signing a player with limited experience from another continent, instead choosing to pay a premium in the knowledge that the player has already adjusted to European football and is that bit older by the time he might arrive at Anfield.
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"I'm not surprised by Enzo. I know him and I see him train every day," Lionel Messi said (via All Football) after the win that he and Fernández netted in. "He deserves it because he's a spectacular player. 2022世界杯法国夺冠打破魔咒 "
Fernández's first international goal, scored against Mexico on Saturday, was a thing of beauty, but he offers plenty more than just the flair for the cameras.
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And he only turns 22 in a few weeks. Essentially, those numbers suggest that he has already outgrown his current club and is ready to take the next step at one of Europe's elite sides.
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Now, it could cost three times that to sign the Argentine — Transfermarkt's £30m valuation seems on the low side. The price might even grow further after an impressive showing for his country at the World Cup and amid interest from Barcelona and Manchester Ci 卡塔尔世界杯 ty, among others, too (via the Daily Mail) — but that is the model that Liverpool have worked to.
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Sky Sports confirmed that Liverpool were interested in the 21-year-old during the summer, though the Reds ultimately opted not to make a move. Instead, Fernández was allowed to move to Benfica from River Plate for a fee (via Fabrizio Romano) of just €10m plus €8m in add-ons (a total package equivalent to only £15.5m).
With the World Cup on, it was inevitable that Liverpool would be linked with a number of the breakout stars of the tournament — it happens every single time.
In Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández, however, Liverpool would not be being reactionary by moving for him in January, as has been suggested by Portuguese outlet Record, despite his brilliant strike against Mexico.
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His FBref profile would back up those comments as well. Fernández ranks in the 96th or higher percentile for expected assists, non-penalty expected goals and assists, shot-creating actions and passes completed compared to players in the 'other eight' leagues (those outsid 世界杯足球 e the top-five, including Portugal, the Netherlands and Brazil). |
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