Liverpool to unearth Uruguayan gold

Liverpool are set to sign an agreement with Uruguayan side Nacional that will allow the Reds first option over the sides youngsters. 

Liverpool are hoping to they can unearth talent such as Luis Suarez and Sebastian Coates, both of whom are products of the Nacional academy. 

A Nacional spokesman told BBC Sport: "Liverpool would come and watch how our academy works and would have first option on signing our young players.  "We are working towards finalising an agreement as soon as possible."  

The club are said to be the key behind Uruguay's current success with 14 of the 23 man Copa America winning side, being a product or having played for the side.

24-year-old Luis Suarez, came through the Nacional academy before joining Dutch club Groningen and later moving to Ajax, before joining Liverpool for £22.7m in the January. 

The Reds also signed  centre-back Coates, in August after an impressive display in the Copa America.

The deal comes after Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli said he was keen to forge closer links with Nacional, following the addition of Coates to the Liverpool squad.

"We are talking about a partnership with them that we would like to create over the next three, four or five years, to see if there is more talent coming through," he told the Liverpool site in September.

"Maybe we can help them to develop their standards and, in turn, have the ability to bring those young players here.

"We already have a strong link with South America through Lucas [Leiva], Maxi [Rodriguez] and Luis [Suarez].

"Since it's been such a success with Luis - and I'm sure it will be for Sebastian [Coates] - why don't we try to make it an even bigger success by bringing in other players from Nacional?

Martyn Edwards