At Liverpool, a new era is about to commence. With effect from today, Jurgen Klopp’s nine-year tenure is officially gone, and Feyenoord manager Arne Slot will take over as the cherished German manager’s replacement in the Anfield dugout.
Slot won’t have to start from scratch on Merseyside, but it has been speculated that important players like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah may leave with Klopp. If Liverpool is to contend for the title again in 2024–25, the Dutchman will need to make a name for himself in the transfer market.
Alan Varela of Porto may be the first new signing, if Argentine rumors are to be believed. Liverpool is rumored to have started “formal talks” to recruit the midfield player. The Reds are thinking of activating Varela’s €70 million (£60m/$76m) release clause, according to Portuguese publication O Jogo. This is a significant expenditure that is guaranteed to draw a lot of attention.
Varela may not be a superstar just yet, but GOAL is here to give you all the information you need to know about Porto’s Argentine general..Varela was raised in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, and was born about 40 minutes from La Bombonera, the famous home stadium of Boca Juniors. At an early age, he developed an obsession with football, and in 2007 he joined Barcelona Juniors Lujan, the youth academy established by La Liga powerhouse Barcelona to develop Argentine talent, to start his journey towards the professional ranks.
After a funny initiation ceremony in which he and six other new players were forced to get extremely unusual haircuts, Boca took notice and drafted an 11-year-old Varela into their youth ranks in 2012. Seven years later, he started training with the first squad. In 2019, Varela also secured his first professional contract. He also made his Argentina Under-20 debut, but he had to wait to establish himself as a regular starter for Boca.
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