Liverpool & Man Utd-linked Joao Gomes the subject of transfer 'lies', claims Flamengo's vice-president

• Midfielder has caught the eye
• Has aired Anfield "dream"
• Brazilian club reluctant to sell

WHAT HAPPENED? The 21-year-old midfielder is said to be attracting interest from the Premier League as heavyweight outfits in England draw up recruitment plans for upcoming transfer windows. Gomes has admitted that he “dreams” of turning out at Anfield, but he also recently signed a new contract through to 2027 and his current employers insist no formal approaches have been received for a home-grown star that they are understandably reluctant to part with.

WHAT THEY SAID: Marcos Braz, a prominent figure in Flamengo’s boardroom, has told ESPN of unwelcome gossip: "It was said that there was some discomfort, a relationship problem. The relationship with Joao Gomes was always the best possible, speaking personally and as vice president of the football department.

"There was no proposal for Joao Gomes, there was no consultation for him. So, it’s a lot of lies that have been propagated about Joao Gomes since the beginning of these renewal issues. But if you ask me if next year, in the middle of the year, I think there will be something, I’ll say: ‘I think’. Due to the size of the player, for what he has become, for being a player, today, Flamengo’s starter. So, it’s natural for the market out there to pass a magnifying glass over this player, but there’s nothing."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Gomes has previously said of his career ambitions: “Liverpool are a team I’d play for. Playing in the Champions League is my biggest dream and that of my family, my biggest dream in football.”

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR GOMES? The highly-rated youngster made his senior debut for Flamengo in November 2020 and has now passed 100 total appearances for the Brazilian club.