Liverpool is looking to sign players from the next generation who could make the team better in the future, with Lionel Messi seemingly naming one "target" as a huge talent for the future
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF enters the pitch prior to the MLS match between Inter Miami CF and D.C. United
Lionel Messi has looked ahead to the next generation of players(Image: (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images))
Liverpool is looking to sign the biggest and brightest talents out there, so it's no surprise that links have emerged over interest in Mexican youngster Gilberto Mora.
The 17-year-old has taken the world by storm in the past few months, having enjoyed a breakout campaign with Liga MX side Club Tijuana that has seen him cement himself as a top prospect.
Those thoughts on his standing in the game were further cemented in the summer, when Mora was called up to the Mexico national team for the World Cup, where he played a key role for the tournament hosts on a run to the round of 16.
That has only intensified the interest in the playmaker, who is attracting interest from around the world, with a transfer on the cards when he turns 18 later this month.
With Liverpool looking to build the next great team for the future, after years of competing at the top, links with Mora make sense with the recent shift in transfer strategy - with the likes of Samuel Martinez and Lucca Brughmans joining in the summer as part of that change.
While there will be plenty of competition for his signature, if the Reds needed any convincing that a deal would be a good one, then they need look no further than one of the generation's best players - if not the greatest of all time - Lionel Messi.
The Inter Miami star has seen it all and won almost everything possible along the way, but with his own career starting to wind down, he's now looking ahead to the future stars who will carry the game forward.
In a promotion for Adidas, the star was seen writing down the names of players from the next generation who will carry on his legacy. Among those spotted on the board in the video was Mora, alongside other youngsters such as Kees Smit.
It may be one of the best endorsements that a player can get, with Messi knowing exactly what it takes to move from wonderkid with potential to one of the greatest.
There will be plenty of hope that Mora can do just that, with the early signs being promising, as teams queue up for the potential to land his signature.
Gilberto Mora #10 of Mexico celebrates after scoring the first goal of his team during an international friendly match between Mexico and Colombia
Gilberto Mora has been linked with a transfer switch to Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images))
The 17-year-old has certainly capitalized on the hype surrounding him so far, proving it right with his form in the Liga MX Apertura phase.
In seven appearances for Club Tijuana, Mora has already picked up five goals and one assist, continuing to show why he is being tipped to be among the very best.
Whether Liverpool can seal him remains to be seen, as links have emerged with clubs such as Arsenal and Barcelona also rumored with interest.
It creates an interesting scenario for the January transfer window, with the star officially able to complete a move to the Premier League in the winter, while he may well hold out until the summer to make a switch for a fresh season and a new start.