Liverpool have had their path cleared to sign a top Brazilian talent as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold after the director of his side, Flamengo, confirmed they would not stand in his way of a move and with the Serie A side planning for his departure.
The Reds are soon expected to confirm the worst-kept secret in football that Alexander-Arnold, the club’s vice-captain, has agreed a free–transfer move to Real Madrid at the season’s end and will end his 20-year association with his boyhood club. Having tried, unsuccessfully, to tie the star down to a new contract, the 26-year-old will now sign for Los Blancos on a lucrative deal that will sort him out for life.
And while the likes of Fabrizio Romano have now confirmed that a move to take the Liverpool star to the Bernabeu is close, the Reds will be left contemplating how best to fill the sizeable gap left in their squad by a player who has contributed an impressive 110 G/A (22 scored, 88 assists) since breaking into the side as a raw teenager in 2016.
Thankfully, the Reds have had plenty of advanced warning of this scenario playing out. And in the traditions of Liverpool FC, the Reds hierarchy plan to replace from within, with the departure of the 33-times capped England man opening the door for another academy product, Conor Bradley, to stake his claim for a regular place.
However, Liverpool are also strongly expected to bring in another option to compete with the Northern Irishman. And it seems that rather than signing an established world name, they could look instead to bring in another young star of promise.
To that end, the Reds have been mentioned as having a strong interest in Wesley Franca, who recently made his full international debut for Brazil and has gone on to win two caps.
Now possible Reds hopes of a deal have been given the green light after Jose Boto, the director of football at his club Flamengo, confirmed they are expecting him to leave and amid claims in the South American media that a Liverpool enquiry has been made.
“When I arrived at Flamengo, Wesley already had some offers on the table,” Boto said. “I had conversations with him and the staff and gave my opinion as a football man.
“If he continued to develop, if he went to the national team, he would last another year with other clubs wanting him.
“Really – with the way he plays now, with the needs of the European market – it will not be easy for him to stay here after the summer window.
“Obviously, we are already working to be prepared for [Wesley’s departure] if that happens. But of course, that will only happen if the clubs are willing to pay what we think Wesley is worth at the moment, which is quite high.
“There are not many right-backs in the world with the technical ability and speed that he has. We have a value in our head, the player’s staff knows it, the player knows it.”
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What are the experts saying about Wesley Franca?
Like Alexander-Arnold, Wesley shares the same ambition to get forward down the flank and create chances for attackers.
However, he also has some defensive flaws too and he experienced something of a rough night when debuting for Brazil recently against Argentina, as the world champions ran out 4-1 winners.
Wesley’s performance that night drew criticism from the national press, while South American football expert Tim Vickery has also raised the alarm bells about the defensive side of his game.
“He’s a very attacking full-back,” Vickery told talkSPORT. “Very quick. Bullet fast. But he’s not the greatest defensive full-back.”
Nonetheless, Flamengo are already prepared for his departure, having already finalised a deal to bring former Manchester City and Juventus full-back Danilo back to the club.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot, meanwhile, while not commenting directly on either Wesley or Alexander-Arnold’s situation, has admitted he is working on potential new recruits alongside sporting director Richard Hughes.
“We are looking at every single position and we are looking at the team, and I think we’ve said this many times, last summer, we didn’t do a lot because we, Richard, me and all the other people involved, just wanted to know how these players were working with me.
“Now we have a very good idea about that. I’m not going to tell you which positions we prefer, but it is clear that we’ve assessed the squad, we’ve assessed what we think where we can improve, and that’s where we try to go for in the summer,” he said earlier this year.
Who else could Liverpool sign to replace Alexander-Arnold?
Meanwhile, TEAMtalk transfer insider Fraser Fletcher has revealed Kiliann Sildillia has also been identified as a potential replacement for Alexander-Arnold, having learned that contact has already been established for the SC Freiburg star over what could prove a cut-price move to Merseyside.
Elsewhere on the incoming front, the Reds are taking increasing interest in signing 6ft 3in Bundesliga striker wire Hugo Ekitike this summer with a reliable journalist providing a big update on the chase and with their hopes of landing top target Alexander Isak from Newcastle fading fast.
However, Luis Diaz will not be joining Barcelona this summer. That’s after reports revealed they are to completely withdraw their interest in the Colombian after the Reds had set a put a huge new price tag on the winger’s head and with two new sides exploring deals.
And finally, it’s been reported that Liverpool could look to replace the departing Diaz with a Premier League winger described as the ‘next Sadio Mane’ and with an in-the-know hack confirming Reds’ interest in landing the player.
IN-PROFILE: Who is Flamengo star Wesley?
Born in Acailandia, a Brazilian municipality in the western part of Maranhao, in September 2003, Wesley – whose full name is Wesley Vinicius Franca Lima – was signed for Flamengo in 2020 from Serie D side Clube Atletico Tubarao for a nominal fee.
Learning his trade with their youth sides at first, he made his senior debut for the side in December 2021 at the age of 17, during a 2-0 Serie A defeat against Atletico Goianiense.
He has gone on to make 108 appearances for the Rio side, scoring twice and contributing three assists along the way. While there are elements in his game that were initially perceived as being raw, the 5ft 8in star has matured somewhat in recent times and now is one of the first names on the Flamengo teamsheet.
Former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis, who is now Flamengo’s manager, has been full of praise for the 21-year-old and believes he has enormous potential in the game.
“He’s the kind of player who will decide where he wants to play come June,” Luis said after Wesley helped Fla to a Supercopa do Brasil win over Botafogo earlier in February.
“There’s no ceiling for this kid; he’s exceptional.”
That form is also set to earn Wesley a first senior call-up to the Brazil national side for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia (March 21) and Argentina (26 March).
The player has also helped his side collect four major honours, winning the Copa Libertadores, Copa do Brasil twice and Carioca.