Meet Fluminense star André: The Brazilian Joshua Kimmich, wanted by Liverpool and Arsenal

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The picture of Fluminense head coach Fernando Diniz hugging his midfielder André just moments after the Copa Libertadores win over Boca Juniors (1-2 AET) went around the world. While embracing one another, tears were visible, certainly tears of joy but perhaps also a bit of sadness, as the expectations are that the 22-year-old will now move on and join a European giant. In fact, it was a bit of a surprise when André opted not to move to Europe last summer to finish off the season in Brazil. It was a decision that worked out well as André played a big part in Fluminense’s first-ever Libertadores triumph. 

Market Value

André Defensive Midfield

€25.00m

“The relationship he has with his club and his manager probably played a huge part in staying until the end of the season, as Liverpool tried to persuade him to join them in the European summer,” said Marcos Watts, Transfermarkt Area Manager for Brazil. “I believe he understands the massive role he plays in Fluminense’s system and respects the club and Diniz a lot, so he agreed to stay and fight for the Copa Libertadores title and put his name in the club’s history books.”

It was a gamble that paid off. Not only did André win the Libertadores, but when he leaves, he will leave as a national team player and one of the best midfielders to have played in the Brasilieirão in recent history. André played an impressive 53 games (one goal) across all competitions, and his market value increased from €10m last season to €15m this season, which makes him the most valuable defensive midfielder in the Série A and ninth most valuable player overall. 

Fluminense star André: A product of Diniz’s relationism system  

Although not a prolific goalscorer by any means, Watts describes André as the perfect modern-day defensive midfielder. “He has the intelligence, the strength, great tactical awareness, tackling, passing, dribbling, and versatility—everything you need in that position,” Watts said. “Playing for Fernando Diniz’s relationism system probably had a major impact in some of his game, since as one of the key players in the system, he has to be very much press proven, needs good vision, and has to use his weak foot a lot—and he excels in all that.” 

The excellent Adam Bates from Sky Sports has recently taken a deep dive into the "relationism" system of which Diniz is one of the trailblazers. “Leaning on ideas from futsal, this is football as free expression with players no longer shackled to a zone but encouraged to interact, rotate and create,” Bates writes in his piece. Relationism is increasingly taking a foothold in European football as well, which means players like André, who know the system inside out, have become increasingly more important. 

In terms of what would be the best comparable, André reminds Watts of Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich. “His strength, impressive passing skills, and tactical instincts make him seem somewhat like a Brazilian Kimmich—and the size does help with that since Kimmich is 177cm tall and André is just 1cm shorter,” Watts said. Although not a prolific goalscorer, some of André’s underlying numbers are simply impressive. According to Wyscout, the 22-year old led the Série A with 1880 passes overall and was fourth with 94.73% completed passes. “He’s not just a great player off the ball, André is also exceptional with the ball on his feet,” Watts said. “He’s already one of the most promising and valuable players in Brazil, but his market value only tends to go up from now and fast.”

Player Comparison

André

Joshua Kimmich

Fluminense Football Club

Bayern Munich

€25.00m

Market Value

€60.00m

22

Age

29

Defensive Midfield

Position

Right-Back

Dec 31, 2026

Contract until

Jun 30, 2025

Full Player Comparison

André: Liverpool, Arsenal, or Fulham – What’s next for the Fluminense star

With all that in mind, there is no doubt that André is now ready to make the step to Europe. But where will he go? “Reports say it’s between Arsenal, Liverpool and Fulham,” Watts said. “I would say he would fit perfectly into Jürgen Klopp’s squad and could be the missing piece Liverpool needs right now—but playing for Mikel Arteta’s dynamic midfield could also be interesting,” Watts added. That makes two possible destinations, but the way André has been playing, Liverpool and Arsenal will likely face significant competition for André’s signature this winter.