Liverpool are reportedly among several clubs in the hunt for a Brazilian wonderkid who’s been likened to a certain Kylian Mbappe.
According to TEAMtalk, the Reds have been seriously impressed by Palmeiras youngster Luis Guilherme after ‘watching his progress carefully’ for an extended period, and there is believed to be ‘a mutual appreciation from both sides’.
The report claims that the chances of a summer transfer are ‘high’, with the 18-year-old eager to join a European powerhouse as he believes himself capable of playing at the highest level in football.
A likely fee of £40m is quoted for the teenager, who’s been the subject of scouting missions from at least six Premier League clubs over the past year.
Guilherme has forged a glowing reputation for his searing pace, earning comparisons with Mbappe after hitting a sprint speed of 36.4km/h in 2022 (Football Insider) and boasting a combination of ‘exceptional speed, creative flair, and tactical prowess’ (The Beautiful Games).
He’s already featured 43 times for Palmeiras’ first team, although one notable commodity has been lacking from the talented teenage forward – goals. In 1,236 minutes of his senior club career thus far, he’s found the net only once. Even allowing for his tender age, that’s still a rather subdued return for an attacking player.
Whether Liverpool will move directly for the 18-year-old is a pertinent question, as many of the Reds’ South American players in recent years have been signed from European clubs.
The likes of Bobby Firmino (Hoffenheim), Darwin Nunez (Benfica), Alisson Becker (Roma) and Fabinho (Monaco) had all cut their teeth on this continent already before making the move to Anfield, an important stepping stone which helped them to be primed for life in the Premier League.
Guilherme mightn’t be quite ready to go straight into the Reds’ first team just yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up on Merseyside further down the line, via somewhere else in Europe first.
