Norwich City, Stoke and Portsmouth join Sunderland in race to sign £13.1m star | OneFootball

Norwich, Stoke and Portsmouth are among the clubs eyeing a deal to sign Andre Luiz

Portsmouth, Norwich City and Stoke City are all monitoring Rio Ave forward Andre Luiz ahead of the January transfer window.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, the trio of Championship sides have all been impressed by his strong start to the Primeira Liga.

Andre Luiz joined Rio Ave in the January transfer window earlier this year, and he has grown into an important part of the side in that time.

The 23-year-old made an initial 16 appearances in the Portuguese top flight last season, contributing one goal and one assist as the team earned an 11th place finish.

But he has already surpassed that tally in this campaign, registering four goals and four assists from 11 games in the league, earning plenty of plaudits for his displays.

Norwich, Stoke, Portsmouth make contact for Rio Ave forward

Norwich, Stoke and Portsmouth are all believed to be interested in the player following his standout performances.

However, they face competition from Premier League clubs Brentford and Sunderland, who are also interested in the winger, along with Rio Ave’s rivals SC Braga.

It has been claimed that the Primeira Liga side have set a €15 (£13.1) million asking price for the Brazilian, as they look to take a firm stance on his future.

It’s understood that the player is not for sale in January, and that it will prove very difficult to convince Rio Ave to cash in during the middle of the campaign.

Andre Luiz agreed a contract that runs until the summer of 2029, giving the European club a lot of leverage in any upcoming talks.

Stoke are currently in the mix for promotion to the Premier League, and Andre Luiz not being on the market until the summer may aid their pursuit of the forward as Mark Robins’ side may be planning for life in the top flight by then.

However, Portsmouth and Norwich are fighting further down the Championship table, sitting 20th and 23rd, respectively.

Andre Luiz deal will be difficult for Championship trio to pull off

Andre Luiz has enjoyed a strong start to the season, and it’s no surprise that he’s attracting so much interest given his consistency in front of goal.

Rio Ave will be looking to hold firm, as someone of his talent can net the club a hefty sum, especially with two Premier League sides taking an interest.

So it will be difficult for Stoke, Norwich and Portsmouth to compete for his signature as long as they are in the Championship and his asking price is £13.1 million.