After snubbing Liverpool, André is now ready for transfer to Europe

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Among the Fluminense fans who traveled the 6,000 miles from Rio de Janeiro to Jeddah this weekend for the FIFA Club World Cup, the majority wore the famous green and brown jersey bearing the name “Andre.” the rear.

The 22-year-old defensive midfielder is their star, but the tournament in Saudi Arabia could also be his last act for the Brazilian club. Having stayed to help win the Copa Libertadores – and thus qualify for the Club World Cup – he is set to follow in the footsteps of many of Brazil's best young players and move to Europe. This could happen as early as the January transfer window, even if it is not yet done.

Fluminense fans are determined to enjoy him while they can and their 2-0 victory over CAF champions Al Ahly on Monday means Andre will play at least one more match for the club he joined at the age of 12, when he faces Manchester City in Friday's Club World Cup final. There is no ill feeling from the club or its fans – far from it – and there is a feeling that Andre has already more than done his part for Fluminense.

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The first rumors of a move to Europe began circulating a year ago, ahead of the January European window, but Andre was already talking about staying put to try to win the Copa Libertadores. It wasn't like this tournament was a sure thing – Fluminense didn't want to and hadn't even started their domestic campaign by the time the competition started – but André still wanted to try. This summer, Liverpool came calling as manager Jurgen Klopp looked to rebuild his midfield without Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, but again Andre said no.

In public, Fluminense said he was delighted, but behind the scenes, many members of the staff approached him to ask if he was sure it was the right decision. “It's one thing to say no to clubs from Portugal or Russia, but it was the Premier League and Liverpool,” a source told ESPN. It finally paid off when, in November, Fluminense beat Boca Juniors 2-1 after extra time to win the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history.

Already a hero who came through the academy to break into the first team, André has cemented his legacy and when the time comes, he will be considered a club legend. Whether it happens in January or in the summer, the opinion at Fluminense is that he will eventually have to go. They are in a much more stable financial situation than a year ago, but Andre's potential €35 million transfer fee is still needed to help balance the books.

Liverpool's interest has waned since signing Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo this summer, but Arsenal, Manchester United and Fulham are among the other clubs linked. Fluminense are yet to receive any offers ahead of the January window and it appears they could wait until the summer – when European clubs usually do most of their transfer business – to maximize their profits.

Andre's preference is to move to England, but Fluminense has so far been firm in its demand for a fee close to €35 million. Fulham in particular could have both the funds and the need for a midfielder if Bayern Munich revive their interest in João Palhinha in January.

Equally comfortable in the center of defense or at the base of midfield, the Fluminense team believe that Andre's physique and technical ability on the ball would make him a perfect fit for the Premier League, But this has not always been the case.

Born in rural Brazil where his father worked on a cocoa plantation, he arrived at Fluminense 10 years ago as a center forward. Not a player who made headlines as a teenager like Neymar or Endrick, Andre had to buy his family a phone to stay in touch during his debut at the club.

Despite his high profile, Andre has only been a regular in the Fluminense first team for three seasons, and before his debut in September 2020, he was on the verge of leaving on loan. However, injuries in the team forced him to stay and since the start of the 2021 campaign he has played 153 games, missing virtually none due to injury. He made his international debut in June and always wanted to follow the advice of SeleCaliforniao captain, Casemiro. The connection makes sense; in Brazil, he is seen as the natural successor to the Manchester United midfielder.

Casemiro, who turns 32 in February, is part of a generation of Brazilian footballers that also includes Thiago Silva, 39, a former Fluminense academy graduate, and Marcelo, 35, returning to the club where he started after winning the Champions League. five times with Real Madrid.

Thiago Silva and Marcelo have both left Brazil to become stars in Europe, and Andre is the next to make the move. But first there will be the Club World Cup final, where he will have the opportunity to further enhance his reputation.