Liverpool are reportedly showing an interest in a teenage talent from Belgium.
According to Chris Wheatley, football editor with National World, the Reds – along with Leicester and Southampton – are ‘monitoring’ Gent forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who’s described as a ‘highly-rated’ 19-year-old.
The youngster is ‘represented solely’ by his father and ‘could be set for a summer exit’ ahead of the transfer window closing on 30 August.
Liverpool, Leicester, and Southampton are monitoring highly-rated 19-year-old Gent forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo. 🇧🇪
Represented solely by his father, the youngster could be set for a summer exit ahead of the 30 August deadline. pic.twitter.com/HOlX9etUge
— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley) August 19, 2024
Liverpool fans could be forgiven for not being overly familiar with Fernandez-Pardo, who’s made just 27 senior appearances in his senior career, all for Gent (Transfermarkt).
Operating at either centre-forward or on the left flank, the teenager already has a decent return of 10 professional goals, hitting a rich vein of form towards the end of last season when he netted seven times in 10 games in the Belgian top flight’s play-offs for European qualification (Transfermarkt).
Follow Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE
As per Liverpool Echo, Gent’s sporting director Arnar Vidarsson has conceded that the club will sell the 19-year-old if an ‘excellent offer’ is made, with a ‘definite answer’ on his future due to be made imminently.
Fernandez-Pardo could be a signing for further down the line if the Reds were to move for him, but such is the competition for places in the forward line now that even a superb pre-season couldn’t prevent Fabio Carvalho from being sold to Brentford last week.
We suspect that the other two Premier League clubs who’ve been linked with the Belgian prospect would be in a better position to grant him regular game-time in the near future, but the Merseysiders’ allure might be difficult for him to turn down if they can make an enticing offer.
EOTK Close-up with John Welsh: ‘a local lad who lived his dream’ and Slot’s LFC predictions