Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Benfica player Florentino Luis multiple times last season according to Fabrizio Romano
What is the latest news about Florentino Luis?
According to reports, Italian side AC Milan are interested in bringing the Portuguese midfielder to the San Siro. Reports claim that the Milan side have already been in contact with the midfielder's representatives and that a deal could be reached with the Portuguese club for around €30m (£25.7m).
Another report, however, says that whilst AC Milan do have an interest in the player, they are joined by Arsenal and Napoli. The report also contradicts others were suggesting about the fee, stating instead that Benfica will only sell if the players €120m (£103m) release clause is met, with the sale of Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea just six months ago giving the club a benchmark to go off of.
Liverpool meanwhile sent scouts to watch both Luis and teammate Antonio Silva back in March, with 90min reporting that both the Reds and Tottenham Hotspur had scouts in attendance for the Portuguese sides 2-0 victory over Famaliciao.
Speaking on the Born and Red YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that the club were interested in the midfielder however no official talks had taken place.
“I think this is one of the players that Liverpool have been watching in terms of scouting because I have been told multiple times that Liverpool scouts were around to follow Florentino Luis. At the moment I am not aware of any direct contact with Benfica so let’s see but I’m not sure that Benfica are open to that kind of negotiation for the clause, I think they really want big money.”
Where would Luis play for Liverpool?
Luis was one of the most impressive defensive midfielders in Europe last season.
The midfielder shone when it came to the defensive side of the game and breaking up play in the midfield, averaging an incredible 3.48 tackles per 90 and 2.67 interceptions per 90. Those numbers put him in the top 3% of all midfielders in Europes "next eight" leagues for those categories, showcasing that he is the perfect destroyer for any midfield.
His former coaches have spoken very highly of him, with Joao Tralhao stating "Technically speaking, it’s not easy to find a midfielder with the defensive qualities he has, I used to joke with him and say that he saw the game two seconds before everyone else. It’s amazing the amount of interceptions he makes, the way he can be in the right position all the time.
"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. He can play anywhere, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, anywhere. He would have no problem adapting."
Liverpool are reportedly hoping to bring in one more midfielder this summer, after already announcing the signings of midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Luis would be a very different profile in comparison and would most likely battle with Fabinho and Stefan Bajcetic for the position at the base of the midfield alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold. Should the 23-year-old join the Reds, he could be the key in further unlocking the quality that the scouser has by giving him more freedom to focus on his attacking and creativity, as Luis will provide all the protection the midfield needs.
It does seem to be a difficult deal for the Reds to complete due to Benfica's unwillingness to negotiate a fee, but should they manage to pull it off, they could have the final piece of their midfield puzzle