Liverpool are reportedly set to mount a scouting mission during the World Cup as they look to hijack Manchester United's move for Enzo Fernandez.
Fernandez has starred for Benfica from central midfield, appearing in 22 games so far this season. As Águias are unbeaten in the Primeira Liga this campaign and are on course to win their first Portuguese title since 2019.
At the heart of their midfield has been Fernandez, who is already attracting suitors despite only joining Benfica in the summer. His performances are set to earn him a place in the Argentina squad for the World Cup, which gets underway a week on Sunday.
According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Liverpool have entered the race to sign the 23-year-old, alongside United. It is said that their 'appetite' is growing, with the Reds having already scouted him in the Champions League.
They will now get the opportunity to scout him on football's biggest stage if the suspicions are correct that he will be in the Argentina squad. Liverpool are preparing to mount a move at the end of the season, though United are reportedly set to attempt to sign him in January.
Benfica paid just £8million to buy him from River Plate in June and slapped a £100m buy-out clause in his contract. Boss Roger Schmidt has attempted to play down the speculation that Fernandez could be sold in the January window.
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“My son likes Enzo, the way he plays and so do I. Everybody likes him, plays good football. My family has always grown up in the middle of football, my wife and son have been to the stadium, they like the clubs where I am," he told Record in October.
"I don’t foresee not having Enzo after the World Cup, he’s where he’s supposed to be to develop. It’s very good for him and for us if we stay a while longer at Benfica. See, I think he’s in excellent form, he’s recovering very well.
"He’s been able to rest in the selection, of course, there have been the moves. On Tuesday made an excellent game. Today he was fresh in training, he’s young, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to play."
It is widely thought that Jude Bellingham is Liverpool's top midfield target for next summer's window. But Fernandez could be a strong back-up option if a move for the Borussia Dortmund star fails, especially as Jurgen Klopp is keen to add a midfielder to his squad.
“We were going for a midfielder, but the midfielder decided to go to another club, that can happen. In that moment it’s not just ‘we don’t take him so let’s see if we can take the other one,'" Klopp said in August after failing to buy a midfielder in the summer.
“This is how our life is, we cannot just push a button, bring him in and worry about all the problems he could create next year. We always wanted [a midfielder], but it was always about the right one. We cannot change that."
