Francisco Conceicao’s value is now rising and this is likely to cause problems for Liverpool in the summer.
Sport Witness covered the Reds’ interest in the winger back in March. Initial contact was made and Manchester United have also been mentioned as a possible destination for the Portuguese attacker.
Conceicao has contributed to eight Serie A goals this season but has become a key player for Luciano Spalletti.
He has started every game since March and this is a clear sign of his growing prominence at the Bianconeri.Liverpool’s task is getting more complicated and his playing time has only helped.
€70m needed
Corriere dello Sport note how Conceicao impressed for Juve against Hellas Verona at the weekend. While Spalletti’s side didn’t win, he was a constant threat on the right wing, nearly scoring twice after Dusan Vlahovic equalised.
This left the Italian manager impressed at a point when Kenan Yildiz is facing problems of his own. Edon Zhergova has never impressed either, making Conceicao a chief creator in attack. Conceicao is now described as one of the ‘most effective wingers’ in Serie A.
The newspaper makes Liverpool’s interest clear, warning that he could be a possible replacement for Mo Salah. The World Cup will also be important for Conceicao, who can build his reputiation.
Due to his recent performances, the attacker’s valuation is now put at €70m. This was previously €50m but Juve are going higher. Spalletti’s stance is also important, with Conceicao seen as indispensable to the side.
Our take: Reds should look at other targets
The Italian press seems to be promoting Conceicao as if he is indeed the second coming of Mo Salah. That isn’t even remotely true, as the Portuguese constantly lacks a final ball and is still quite inconsistent.
He does have a very reliable ability to beat defenders but his numbers say a lot about his weaknesses. His 1v1 ability dazzles but there is still a long way to go before he reaches Salah’s level.
In fact, the Egyptian was firing on all cylinders at Roma before he ended up at Liverpool. Conceicao is a level below that and €70m is a ridiculous figure to pay for him.