Liverpool's new Fabinho? Why Fluminense midfielder Andre is being linked with a move to Anfield

Andre was born in Algodao, Ibirataia, which is not exactly renowned as a hotbed of Brazilian football, given its remote location in the interior of northern state Bahia. The closest Serie A club is found in the coastal city of Salvador. So, opportunities to impress scouts can be hard to come by.

However, Andre was spotted while playing as a centre-forward in Gandu by local legend Beijoca, who brought him to former club Bahia. He made an instant impact and was promptly offered the chance to join Fluminense, who are based in Rio, nearly 1,500 kilometres away from Algodao.

Andre knew the opportunity was too good to turn down, but he was still only 13 and he struggled living so far from his family. "The first two or three years were difficult," he later admitted to ESPN Brazil. "Eventually, I got used to it because I knew there was no other way. Either I fought my homesickness or my dream would end."

While he slowly but surely began to settle off the field, life didn't get much easier on it for Andre, who had been converted into a defensive midfielder long before he broke into the Fluminense senior side in 2020. The Tricolor had a strong squad at the time. Joao Pedro and Marcos Paulo, for example, would both end up moving to Europe.

As a result, Andre, struggled for game time, particularly during the first half of the 2021 campaign under new coach Roger Machado. Indeed, Andre was about to be loaned to Botafogo when fate intervened. Veteran No.6 Hudson suffered a serious, season-ending injury, so Fluminense decided to hold on to Andre simply so they would have sufficient cover in the middle of the park.

He gradually began to see more first-team action and endeared himself to the fans by opening his Serie A account with an injury-time winner in a derby against Flamengo in July 2021 - just four minutes after coming off the bench.

"After that game, I started to establish myself here,” he told Globo Esporte. “I think that goal was needed for me to say, 'I'm going to assert myself here in the professional ranks.’ That goal was the key change for me."

The Flamengo goal was certainly a defining moment in Andre's career but so, too, was Machado's dismissal in August 2021. Marcao took over until the end of the season and Andre became a regular under the former defensive midfielder, impressing to such an extent that he was named the 2021 Serie A season's Best Newcomer.

Last year went even better, thanks in no small part to the appointment of Fernando Diniz as head coach shortly after the start of the 2022 campaign, replacing Abel Braga at the helm. To say that Diniz has played a pivotal role in Andre's development would be a massive understatement, given he's become something of a father figure to the youngster.

"Diniz is an exceptional person," Andre told ESPN Brasil. "In addition to being a great coach, he is a person who helped me on the field with his different style of play, which nobody has here in Brazil. It is his own philosophy. He added a lot to my style of play."

Indeed, Diniz, who is regarded as one of the most progressive tacticians in world football, made Andre the fulcrum of a team that dominates possession more than any other side in Serie A. The net result was Andre having more touches and making more successful passes in the league, which resulted in his inclusion in the Team of the Season, and eventually led to him earning his first Brazil cap earlier this year.

Andre is obviously outstanding on the ball. He recycles possession quickly and effectively, providing Fluminense with the foundation on which they construct their varied and intricate attacks. What's arguably most impressive, though, is the way in which he carries himself on the pitch. There's not a trace of fear in his game. He appears to have no understanding of the term 'pressure', allowing him to perform at a level that belies his young age.

Hardly surprising, then, that last season he was referred to in the Brazilian press as 'The 21-year-old veteran'. In that sense, he wouldn't be at all intimidated by the prospect of having to prove himself in the Premier League.

Indeed, amid speculation of an international call-up last year, he was asked by Globo how he would handle playing for the Selecao and he replied, "Regardless of the place, the field is green and the ball is round - nothing changes that." The kid doesn't lack confidence...

Andre doesn't offer much going forward. He's certainly not much of a goal threat - just three in all competitions to date - while he doesn't create many chances either. But, at the end of the day, that's not his job. He's tasked with controlling the tempo of the game by winning the ball and getting it to his forwards.

However, one slight concern would be his propensity for picking up yellow cards. He's already been booked 13 times this season, and sent off once, underlining that he needs to do better when it comes to timing tackles and staying out of trouble.

Comparisons with his compatriot are now inevitable because of the Liverpool links, but it's worth nothing that Andre has spent more time observing Sergio Busquets - even if he's admitted that he never picks arguably the greatest exponent of the No.6 role in modern football when playing FIFA because the Spaniard is "too slow in the game".

However, while Andre may differ from Fabinho physically and stylistically, Allan Lima from GOAL Brasil believes that he could prove just as big a hit at Anfield: "He certainly has the talent and temperament to become Liverpool's new Fabinho. In fact, he has the potential to be an even better player if he can successfully adapt to the Premier League because he arguably has even more attributes. Andre is strong, versatile, can move from box to box and is only going to get better."

The ball is very much in Liverpool's court. As GOAL Brasil has already revealed, Fluminense do not want to lose Andre midway through the season. He is fundamental to Diniz's game plan. As a result, the club have already rejected an offer of €20 million (£17m/$22m) from Sporting CP, as well as slightly bigger bids from unidentified Premier League sides.

So, talk of a £20m deal is way off the mark. If Liverpool want him, then, they're going to have to pay the €40m (£35m/$44m) buyout clause in his contract for overseas clubs, because Fluminense have already made it clear to the Reds that they would only be willing to negotiate a smaller fee in January 2024.

Much will obviously hinge on how the ongoing Lavia talks pan out. But it's clear that Liverpool need a young, gifted defensive midfielder - and that Andre fits the bill. Indeed, no matter what happens, expect him to become a staple of the Brazil team in the coming year, with Diniz having been installed as interim coach until Carlo Ancelotti takes over on a permanent basis next year.

Andre is, therefore, perfectly placed to take Fabinho's place in the Selecao's starting line-up. The only question now is whether he will inherit his jersey at Liverpool too...