PSG and Liverpool among clubs interested in signing Argentine star with €70m release clause - Reports

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Liverpool are among the clubs interested in signing Porto's Argentine superstar Alan Varela, according to reports from Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato.

Varela made his much-anticipated move to Europe at the start of the season, joining Porto from Boca Juniors in an €8 million deal. He has shown his quality and incredible skill from the get go, becoming a key figure in Porto's run in the Primeira Liga and the Champions League.

The Argentine has already made 30 appearances this season for Porto, scoring two goals and assisting another two. His style of play has already earned him comparisons to legendary players like Javier Mascherano.

According to the report, German giants Borussia Dortmund are also interested in the Argentine, who usually features as a central or defensive midfielder. Varela is reported to have a €70M release clause in his contract.

PSG are preparing for life after Kylian Mbappe, with the French superstar looking set to make his dream move to Real Madrid at the end of the season. With Manuel Ugarte and Vitinha forming a solid young backbone in the middle of the park, Varela could be the final piece of their midfield puzzle.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are desperately looking for midfield reinforcements after multiple injuries have left them heavily depleted. The likes of Thiago, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, and Dominik Szoboszlai have missed large chunks of the season due to injury.

Varela could become their long-term replacement for Brazilian superstar Fabinho, who left the club at the start of the season.

Jurgen Klopp gives update on Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai's fitness ahead of Liverpool's UEL knockout fixture

Jurgen Klopp expressed his happiness after Mohamed Salah joined the Liverpool squad for the trip to Prague ahead of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 clash against Sparta Prague.

Salah had missed the Reds' last four games after picking up a knock in the 4-1 win against Brentford last month. Klopp was visibly beaming while talking about Salah's inclusion in the pre-match press conference, saying:

“Yeah, Mo travelled. He is with us, he trained two days, so full of energy. We have to see... But it is so good that he is back, that is really good for us and you can see in his face he is very happy.”

Hungarian superstar Dominik Szoboszlai also made his return this week, featuring as a 76th minute substitute in the Reds' late 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest. Speaking of his presence, Klopp said:

“It is good that he is back. He loves playing football. Being injured is for him tough, tough, tough. Now he is back, played a few minutes, is in the squad. All the rest, we will see.”

Liverpool take on Sparta Prague on March 7, with the return leg at Anfield to be played on March 14.