Liverpool Transfer Rumors 2018: Reds Targeting Sporting Winger Gelson Martins

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Looks like Sporting CP's Gelson Martins is on Liverpool's radar once again.

According to Portuguese publication Correio da Manhã, the Reds have been in contact with the 22-year-old winger and they are interested in completing a deal this month.

The report says that Martins has already agreed to personal terms with Liverpool with the club agreeing to pay him £80,000 a week. However, the Reds are still haggling over the transfer fee for the Portuguese footballer.

Apparently, Martins' release clause is set at €60 million (around £53 million), but Liverpool have only offered to pay half the sum. As expected, Sporting are unwilling to let him leave unless the Reds active his release clause and pay the full amount.

Furthermore, Sporting are reportedly planning to offer him a new contract in an effort to increase his release clause to €100 million (around £88 million).

Liverpool don't seem to be in any hurry to bring Martins to Anfield, but a handful of observers have pointed out that now may be the perfect time to sign the Portuguese winger because his value is expected to increase following the World Cup in Russia this summer.

"As it stands, the real barrier in terms of a successful transfer is the contrasting valuations of the player by each club," Ruari MacNeil said in his column for HITC. "With Sporting looking to raise Martins' release clause, the Reds should move quickly while they can still capture the youngster for £53million, before the deal is potentially put out of reach," he continued.

"Martins is extremely versatile. He can operate on both wings and can also hold his own at right-back where he was often deployed in Portuguese youth teams," he added.

At the moment, a deal is unlikely. But the transfer deadline is still a couple of weeks away so maybe they can still work something out.