Liverpool 'prepared' to activate Gelson Martins' £53.5m release clause
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a bright start to the season, scoring five goals and providing three assists.
Liverpool are reportedly willing to meet Sporting Lisbon's Gelson Martins' release clause amid concerns over the futures of Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge, who have both been linked with moves away from Anfield in recent months.
Martins has enjoyed a strong start to the season after emerging as one of Portugal's most precocious young talents in recent years. The 22-year-old, who joined Sporting in 2010, has already scored five goals and provided three assists for Jorge Jesus' side this season and is looking to drag the Lions to their first Liga Nos title since 2002, though they are currently two points behinds league leaders Porto, who have won 10 of their opening 12 league matches, drawing twice.
Martins was the leading assists provider in the Portuguese top-flight last season and his performances for Sporting have garnered interest from a host of European clubs, with Liverpool apparently ready to pay the attacker's £53.5m release clause ($72.3m) according to a report from Portuguese newspaper A Bola, relayed by The Mirror.
With Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane already taking pride of place in Liverpool's wing positions, such a fee for Martins would seem excessive given that Jurgen Klopp's men do not necessarily need another attacking player at this moment in time.
But with the uncertainty surrounding long-term futures of Coutinho and Sturridge coupled with the injury-prone nature of Adam Lallana, there may be a need for fresh attacking impetus at Liverpool in the not too distant future, though their priority for the upcoming transfer windows should be focused on the other end of the pitch.
Liverpool boss Klopp is already preparing to welcome a £50m+ recruit next summer in the form of RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita and it remains to be seen if the former Borussia Dortmund boss sees fit to sanction a move for Martins, who will be looking continue his rich vein of form against mid-table Belenenses at the Estádio José Alvalade on Friday (1 December).
