Report: Liverpool set sights on ‘do-it-all’ £34m midfielder who’s been compared to Declan Rice

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Liverpool have reportedly entered the race to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Matheus Nunes.

This is according to Portuguese outlet Jornal de Noticias, via Sport Witness.

Liverpool have plenty of midfielders in their ranks, but there is scope to bring in a new recruit in that position.

Jordan Henderson is now 32 and James Milner is 36, both now in the twilight of their careers.

Thiago Alcantara, 31, can be somewhat injury prone, as can Naby Keita.

And Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain appears surplus to requirements at Anfield.

According to JN, Liverpool are the latest Premier League club to express an interest in Nunes.

The outlet claims he’s the Sporting player who has been drawing the ‘most attention from Premier League sides’.

Wolves were first in the race, then Chelsea, and ‘more recently Liverpool’ have begun monitoring Nunes.

However, JN states that Sporting haven’t received any official offers for the 23-year-old.

And it looks as though Liverpool – and Nunes’ other suitors – won’t find it easy to seal a deal for Nunes.

Manager Ruben Amorim doesn’t want to lose another midfielder following Joao Palhinha’s move to Fulham.

Meanwhile, Nunes himself would reportedly like to stay put.

But he does have a price – Sporting are apparently willing to negotiate for a fee of over €40m (£34m).

The player, who has a contract running until 2026, is protected by a €60m (£50.8m) release clause.

“A popular teammate”

Liverpool have struck gold in the Portuguese market this year with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.

Now, the Reds could well make it a hat-trick of raids on the Primeira Liga’s top teams.

And Nunes isn’t a bad shout for Liverpool by any means.

Last year, 90Min described him as a “do-it-all”, “real box-to-box” midfielder who’s “incredibly versatile”.

“Comfortable dropping deep and using his 6’0 frame to bully opponents on the ground or in the air, Matheus loves to pick the ball up and drive at defenders, turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye,” read the scouting report.

“His dribbling skills make Matheus’ long runs really entertaining to watch, and his determination to make things happen on the pitch makes him a popular teammate.”

The report then read: “To say he’s this physical animal wouldn’t be fair to Matheus, whose footwork and vision make him a surprisingly impressive playmaker as well.

“The young midfielder enjoys scanning the pitch for space and the positions of his teammates, so he’s always ready with an impressive first touch or an exciting pass to break the lines.”

On Twitter, fans have compared Nunes to the likes of Declan Rice, Nemanja Matic, Mateo Kovacic and Fernandinho.