Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano reveals Man City & Liverpool transfer target’s €70m release clause

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has made it clear that there is plenty of interest in Porto midfielder Alan Varela ahead of the summer amid reports of the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool scouting the player.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Romano suggested there was nothing particularly advanced with any particular club at the moment, and that it’s just a normal level of scouting from the likes of Man City.

Romano added that Varela has a €70million release clause in his Porto contract, so it won’t be easy or cheap for big clubs to try to sign the 22-year-old defensive midfield talent this summer.

Liverpool have also been linked as admirers of Varela by the print edition of Portuguese outlet O Jogo, as cited and translated by Sport Witness, and it seems clear that the young Argentine has what it takes to move up to the top level before too long.

It remains to be seen if Liverpool really need Varela after majorly revamping their midfield with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai last summer, but squad depth is important so there might be room for one more addition in that department.

City, meanwhile, signed both Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes to bolster their midfield options last summer, though it would probably be fair to say neither player has been that impressive at the Etihad Stadium so far.

Varela transfer update in Romano’s latest column

Discussing the talk over Varela’s future after his performance against Arsenal in the Champions League, Romano said: “Alan Varela has impressed for Porto and was particularly strong in their recent Champions League win over Arsenal, showing what he can do on the biggest stage against the best opponents.

“There have been reports doing the rounds of several top teams scouting Varela, including Manchester City, but for now my understanding is that it is just normal scouting activity, and nothing more advanced than that.

“Many clubs are sending scouts to follow the 22-year-old midfielder as he’s been excellent for Porto in the recent months. I’m also told he has €70m release clause into his contract, and we know how difficult is to negotiate with Portuguese clubs, so this could be a difficult deal if any suitors come forward in the summer.”