Alan Varela responds to Liverpool and Manchester United transfer 'interest' | OneFootball

The Argentine - who missed out on the World Cup squad - is attracting plenty of admirers

The midfielder has enjoyed a rise to prominence since arriving in Portugal from Argentina three years ago in a deal worth around £9.5million.

The 24-year-old is expected to be the subject of huge transfer interest this summer, with both Premier League giants linked with interest in the defensive midfielder.

Varela will have the summer off after missing out on Argentina's World Cup squad, named by Lionel Scaloni last week.

Speaking ahead of the squad disappointment, Varela told Argentine outlet La Nacion about speculation over his future.

Alan Varela

Getty

"I'm calm and 100% focused here in Porto," he replied.

"My agent obviously handles all those matters, and I'm not thinking about that right now ... honestly, I'm not thinking about that at the moment."

Varela was included in Scaloni's preliminary 55-man squad, but was out of the 29 cut ahead of the tournament.

The midfielder, who is set to make a senior appearance for his country, may now start to consider his summer options, with the distractions of a World Cup ruled out.

Varela signed a new contract with Porto last year, which reportedly has a €75million (£65m) release clause.