“Liverpool is a team I would play for” – Brazilian midfielder reveals Anfield transfer preference as he opens up on ‘biggest dream’ and admiration for Thiago Alcantara

Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes has revealed his desire to join Liverpool and expressed his admiration for Thiago Alcantara.

The 21-year-old defensive midfielder has made 59 appearances this season, in which he has helped Flamengo become the Brazilian champions. In his most recent display, his team won the Copa Libertadores as they beat Athletico Paranaense in a tense final.

Gomes is a highly-regarded talent and has already been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs, despite having a contract until 2027. His comments after the game have only fuelled speculation surrounding the midfielder as he admitted that he would be interested in signing for the Reds.

The tenacious midfielder, who has been compared to Casemiro, recently told ESPN:

“I look at Thiago Alcantara."

He further added:

"Liverpool is a team I would play for. Playing in the Champions League is my biggest dream. My biggest dream in football.”

Jurgen Klopp may soon be in the market for a new central midfielder, with the Reds suffering a dismal start to the campaign. They have had a midfield injury crisis this season with the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffering due to injuries.

Meanwhile, many of their most reliable players over the years like James Milner and Fabinho have been woefully out of form.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold admits Liverpool could be second-guessing themselves

Liverpool's latest defeat came at home to Leeds United, their first loss at Anfield in the Premier League since 2020. Belief and confidence appears to be shrinking among Klopp's squad and Alexander-Arnold believes the players might be questioning how things are going.

The England right-back did state that the team does still believe in themselves, but they need to improve quickly as they take on Tottenham Hotspur next week. Alexander-Arnold told Liverpool's official website:

"I'd say we all believe in ourselves, we believe in the way we play, we believe in the squad and what we can achieve. But I think when you do get setbacks, it can potentially make you second-guess yourself and question things. Clearly as a team something's not going right, it's not going as well as we want it to go."

He added:

"That's something for everyone to think about, that's something for everyone to address and make sure we put it right, especially next week against Spurs, top-four rivals. We kind of need to go there and get some points if we've got any chance of reaching our aims and aspirations for the season."

The Merseyside club now lie ninth in the table, 15 points away from leaders Arsenal and eight points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United.