Andoni Iraola wants to sign South American wonderkid for Liverpool, he'd cost £6m

Over the last few years, Liverpool have put a heavy focus on preparing their first-team squad for the future.

Players such as Milos Kerkez, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz have all been brought in so that Liverpool can have a plan in place.

The good thing about each of those players is that they're all good enough to play for the Reds right now.

In fact, they are actually some of their best players so, the fact that they're still young and can grow to become even better players is certainly good news for Liverpool.

However, since the Reds are one of the most well-known clubs in the world and are expected to challenge for silverware every season, they need to constantly keep their eye on the market for any good deals.

And now, that seems like exactly what Iraola has done.

Liverpool want to sign Nicolas Scotti from Defensor

As mentioned, a lot of Liverpool's transfers have been about them preparing for the future.

The Anfield outfit have one of the best academies in the world, but, there are times when certain players from other clubs catch their eye.

The most recent examples of this would be Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni and Samuel Martinez.

Martinez is a 17-year-old attacking midfielder from Colombia and, although most people won't have heard of him, the fact that Liverpool have gone out of their way to sign him proves how good he is.

Liverpool's move for the Colombian was an out-there one and, although he won't join Liverpool until 1 July 2027, it proves that they're always looking for ways to improve their academy.

And now, thanks to an update from ESPN Brazil, it seems like the Anfield outfit are dipping their toes into the South American wonderkid market again as they're now being linked with 16-year-old sensation, Nicolas Scotti.

"At just 16 years old and playing for the first team of Defensor in Uruguay, Nicolás Scotti has attracted the attention of major European and Brazilian football clubs," they wrote.

"According to ESPN , São Paulo and Atlético-MG inquired about the situation of the young player, who is currently with the Uruguayan under-17 national team.

"The Brazilian duo is not alone in the race. Reports indicate that Liverpool, from England, and other major clubs in Europe are eyeing the promising player, who has a release clause set at US$8 million (just over R$41 million), considered accessible even for Brazilian teams.

"Defensor admits behind the scenes that, in the event of an official offer in the near future, Scotti could be traded for a value below his release clause, largely due to Defensor's financial needs, as they are dependent on player sales."

"Scotti is seen as one of the great promises of Uruguayan football and, according to ESPN , may receive opportunities in the future with the under-20 national team and even the senior team."

Liverpool would have to spend £6m to sign Nicolas Scotti

Scotti is almost certainly a player that hardly anyone outside of Uruguay will have heard of.

At the moment, the 16-year-old is playing for Defensor and, by trade, he's a right-winger.

Obviously, since Liverpool already have Joshua Abe among their youth ranks as a right-winger, there would be plenty of competitions between the two players about who should start.

But, the fact that Liverpool could be willing to spend around £6 million on the Uruguayan shows how good they think he could become.

At the moment, it's anyone's guess what could happen but, with a couple of Brazilian clubs also eyeing a move for the youngster, if Liverpool want to sign him, they'll have to move quickly.

Because, if he's as good as they think he is, it won't be long before other clubs also start showing an interest in the attacker.