Should Liverpool, Manchester United, or Manchester City try to sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, they will reportedly have to trigger his hefty release clause.
There is plenty of interest in Fernandez, who is shining for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He scored a wonderful goal against Mexico last week to secure a 2-0 win for his side, who really needed it after a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia.
Benfica signed Fernandez from River Plate for £8.6million (rising to £15.4m) last summer and will soon be laughing all the way to the bank.
The 21-year-old penned a five-year contract with the Portuguese club and reportedly has a €120m release clause in his contract.
Liverpool have been constantly linked with the young midfielder in recent weeks with his performances for Benfica now carrying on into the World Cup.
The Reds are in need of new midfielders and are bound to be active in the transfer market in 2023.
Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham is believed to be their top target, with Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and West Ham’s Declan Rice also on Liverpool’s shortlist.
According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), Fernandez will become the ‘most expensive Argentine player ever’.
This means he would eclipse Gonzalo Higuain’s €90m move from Napoli to Juventus in 2016.
Liverpool are on the list of ‘sharks’ interested in Fernandez. They are alongside United, City, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The ‘weight of the list of interested sides’ has convinced Benfica to get the maximum amount of money possible and will tell interested ‘sharks’ to trigger his mammoth €120m release clause.
It is unclear whether or not Fernandez will depart his side in the winter or summer transfer window, if he does at all next year.
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group are looking to sell the club, so it is unclear whether or not they will splash out around £100m on a single player.
Either way, it does seem like the Reds will be spending a fair whack on a marquee signing next summer.
Should Fernandez leave for his buyout clause, Benfica stand to make an £80m profit in the space of a year.
Borussia Dortmund director Carsten Cramer actually admitted this week he would ‘prefer’ to see Bellingham join Liverpool over other English clubs.
“We are still in a good relationship with Jurgen and many others at Liverpool, so for me, it’s my preferred club in the EPL as well,” he said.
“But don’t expect that we will make gifts to Liverpool.”
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