Luan Signs New 3-Year Deal With Gremio Amid Liverpool, Barcelona Speculation
Liverpool's hopes of sealing a move for supposed transfer target Luan appear to have ended after the Gremio star penned a new three-year contract.
The Brazilian playmaker has renewed his deal - via Gremio's official website - with his current employers until the end of December 2020 and, with it, has ended any perceived speculation over a future move to Anfield.
Liverpool were heavily linked with Luan in the summer as Jurgen Klopp looked to bolster his attacking options ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, but rumours of his arrival were quickly snuffed out once Mohamed Salah's capture from Roma was confirmed.
Gremio president Romildo Bolzan expressed his delight at seeing the 24-year-old commit his future to the club and stated his belief that Luan's quality would be vital to his side's chances of helping Gremio compete at the top of Brazil's Serie A table.
He said: "We were very happy because Grêmio always wanted that (to keep Luan). Luan said he was ready to renew and would never leave without a favorable renewal of his situation.
"He has now kept his word. In addition, it demonstrates that we are willing to keep our players and our important values, especially those formed at home.
"This shows how important our youth policy, technical policy and sports policy is in making the Grêmio increasingly competitive. We will celebrate this moment."
Luan has risen through the youth ranks at Gremio before making his senior bow in January 2014 and has since gone on to make 133 appearances in all competitions for Imortal Tricolor. He has excelled as the main attacking threat in his team this season, and has notched 13 goals and five assists in 26 games to help Gremio into the top four of Brazil's top flight.
It is this form that supposedly alerted Liverpool to his quality, and Reds scouts were sent to watch him in action as recently as August.
Rumours of a move to the Premier League ended soon after that though and, despite also interesting Barcelona in recent weeks, Luan will now remain in his home nation.
