Liverpool are planning to battle Manchester City for the signature of Flamengo midfielder Lucas Paqueta, according to Premium Sport.

What's the word?

Judging by the transfer speculation surrounding Liverpool, manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to strengthen his attacking midfield options.

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A deal for Lyon’s Nabil Fekir reportedly fell through, which has left the Merseyside outfit looking at alternatives.

According to Premium Sport, the Reds have an eye on Paqueta, who is also believed to be on the radar of Premier League champions Manchester City.

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The media outlet claims that the 20-year-old has a £40m release clause, but it is unclear whether Liverpool are willing to meet it.

Should the Reds pursue a deal?

There is no doubting Paqueta’s talent and it is very easy to understand why clubs would be interested in recruiting the young midfielder.

Last season, the young Brazilian, who has adopted the number 10 role, made 15 appearances in all competitions for Flamengo.

During that time, the talented starlet scored three goals and created four assists, which is a good return given the amount of game time given.

However, Liverpool need to push up a level and in order to do that they require a finished product that can immediately add to the effort of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

They require a player that can provide service to the front three and also contribute with goals themselves.

While Paqueta certainly has it in him to be a huge star, at this moment in time, Liverpool should focus on the now rather than the future.