Liverpool and Manchester City involved in transfer battle to sign £60 million-rated star this summer: Reports

Liverpool and Manchester City are both reportedly keen to snap up Porto star Alan Varela ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.

Varela, who is a right-footed defensive midfielder, has turned heads in the ongoing season with his tenacious outings for Porto. Since leaving Boca Juniors for a fee of around £7 million last August, he has scored one goal and registered two assists in 22 games across competitions.

Now, according to Fichajes.net, both Liverpool and Manchester City have been left impressed with the Argentine's recent performances. While the Reds have been on the star's tail since his time at Boca Juniors, the latter have identified him as an apt backup for Rodri Hernandez.

Should Varela secure a permanent transfer to Liverpool, he could pop up as a vital player for them. He would displace Alexis Mac Allister in the holding role and force him to play in his natural advanced role.

Varela, who is reportedly valued at £60 million, could prove to be a fine signing for Manchester City as well. He would fill the void left by Kalvin Phillips' potential sale in Pep Guardiola's treble-winning squad.

Pep Lijnders states Liverpool forward Diogo Jota is thriving due to his 'angry mood' now

At a pre-match press conference, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders hailed Reds attacker Diogo Jota for his recent run of form. He said (h/t LiverpoolWorld):

"Jota is a player who when he's in this angry mood, when he's in this mood where he wants to run against the world, where he wants to decide, he can do things which are incredible. We have to get him in that mood as often as possible, but we are really happy with him, Darwin [Nunez], Lucho [Luis Diaz], Harvey [Elliott], Cody [Gakpo], how they all step up in different moments."

Opining on the Merseyside club's offensive options, Lijnders continued:

"It's never that you can just rely [on one]. It was the same with Bobby [Firmino], Mo [Salah] and Sadio [Mane]. When Mo didn't play well, Bobby played well. If Sadio and Mo didn't, Bobby was the one. If Sadio was not creating, Mo would score the goals. What I'm trying to say is that when you are drilled, if you are trained, if they are all committed, if they are confident, these things happen."

Since recovering from a muscle problem, Jota has impressed in Mohamed Salah's Africa Cup of Nations-induced absence. The 27-year-old has recorded three goals and four assists in his last five matches across all competitions for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Jota, who arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a potential £45 million switch in 2020, has scored 52 goals and laid out 21 assists in 135 games for the Reds so far. He is currently averaging a goal contribution at a fine rate of every 108 minutes for the Anfield outfit.