Former coach claims Benfica star dubbed 'the next Enzo Fernandez' would walk into Liverpool's team

Former Benfica coach Joao Tralhao has claimed that midfielder Florentino Luis, dubbed 'the next Enzo Fernandez', would walk into Liverpool's midfield.

Fernandez joined Chelsea for an eye-watering £107million in January, with the Argentinian viewed as Todd Boehly's missing piece of the jigsaw.

The 22-year-old was thrust into the spotlight after a series of impressive performances for Argentina at the World Cup which earned him the Young Player of the Tournament award, along with a winners' medal.

Liverpool were thought to be one of the clubs interested in signing Fernandez, with some reports claiming they had reached a 'pre-agreement' with the midfielder.

But as his asking price continued to rise, Chelsea flashed the cash and beat the Merseyside club to his signature.

However, Benfica reckon they have the perfect replacement in the shape of 23-year-old Luis.

Who is Florentino Luis?

The Portuguese holding midfielder has flourished under manager Schmidt this season, having spent the past two seasons out on loan at Monaco and Getafe.

Luis, labelled 'the new Enzo Fernandez' by GOAL, is the only player to have featured in all 33 matches for Benfica this season, indicating his importance to the club.

And former Benfica boss Tralhao believes he can go to the very top, stating he "would have no problem adapting" to Liverpool.

“He is the kind of player every coach would like to have in their squad,” Tralhao told GOAL. “He’s an amazing boy, a hard worker, calm, professional, always prepared to listen and he is a proper team player. He doesn't think only of himself.

“Technically speaking, it’s not easy to find a midfielder with the defensive qualities he has. I used to joke with him and say that he saw the game two seconds before everyone else.

"It’s amazing the amount of interceptions he makes, the way he can be in the right position all the time. He is always in the right space to regain the ball and he has improved so much in terms of duels, using his body, protecting the ball in contact and so on.

“He has the talent and quality to play in elite teams. Remember when Real Madrid had the Galacticos? They needed someone to balance the team, and [Claude] Makelele was so important.

"More recently, Casemiro did that job, allowing [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Luka] Modric and [Karim] Benzema to attack. Florentino has those capabilities. He’s having an amazing season under Roger Schmidt.

“He can play anywhere, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, anywhere. He would have no problem adapting."

Topics: Enzo Fernandez, Liverpool, Chelsea, Benfica, Primeira Liga, Premier League, Football, Transfers

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno