Image Credits: Imago Images
Late last year, we brought you reports from Brazil that Liverpool were keen on Grêmio midfielder Gabriel Mec. The Reds emerged as one of several European clubs tracking Mec during his standout displays for Brazil at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, where he operated as an attacking midfielder and wore the number 10 shirt. Scouts from Anfield monitored him closely, alongside the likes of Zenit and Porto.
Reports in Brazil then revealed that Liverpool moved beyond simple scouting and began preparing an offer worth around €15m, with Grêmio viewing that figure as a positive starting point rather than something to reject outright. The club were said to be expecting the official proposal with the expectation that negotiations would focus on nudging the price up and structuring the deal rather than blocking a sale.
This came after Mec had already turned down a €13m move to Shakhtar Donetsk despite Grêmio accepting the bid, the player deciding the timing was not right to leave Brazil, which only increased the feeling that a Premier League giant could eventually be his next step.
However, that bid from Anfield never arrived. And now Brazilian outlet Portal do Gremista are reporting a changing landscape.
They report that both Benfica and Sporting have set their sights on Mec, with his representatives already in Lisbon holding talks and listening to the sporting projects on offer from interested clubs. It’s claimed that Benfica have already met his camp to begin a possible negotiation, while Sporting are also scheduled for discussions, setting up a potential Lisbon tug-of-war for the teenager.
At the same time, it’s note that Liverpool’s expected €15m bid has still not formally arrived, leaving the door open for these Portuguese “middle men” clubs to step in and position themselves as the next launching pad in his career.
If Mec does land in Lisbon rather than Liverpool, the pattern is easy to predict. Benfica and Sporting have built their business model on buying South American talents relatively cheap, developing them in Europe’s shop window, and then selling them on to Premier League clubs for two, three, or even four times the original fee.
A teenager who might cost around €15–20m directly from Grêmio could easily become a €50m-plus asset once he starts producing in Liga Portugal and in European competition.
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