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It was the name that came out of nowhere last season. Before promptly disappearing again.

When Liverpool were looking to bolster their attacking options last summer, Gelson Martins of Sporting Lisbon briefly emerged as a possibility.

That was, of course, until talks for Roma winger Mohamed Salah were reignited.

We all know what happened next.

Twelve months on, Liverpool are again seeking reinforcements up top, with Stoke City's Xherdan Shaqiri and Gent's Nigeria international Moses Simon high on the list of possibilities.

But news from Portugal that Gelson could be available on a free this summer could give the Reds a different option.

Who is he?

Gelson – or, to give him his full name, Gelson Dany Batalha Martins – is a 23-year-old who was born on Cape Verde before moving to Lisbon as a teenager.

He started his youth career at Benfica before switching across city to Sporting in 2010, where he progressed through the ranks before being promoted to the B team in 2014.

After barely a year, he was elevated to the senior side by manager Jorge Jesus having made two brief appearances in the League Cup for the first team the previous season.

What's he done?

By then, Gelson had featured for Portugal in the European U19 Championships in 2014 where he played in every game as his country finished runners-up to Hungary.

Gelson also starred for the Portugal side that reached the last eight of the U20 World Cup in 2015, going on to earn a first call up to the senior squad in September 2016 and make his debut the following month in the 6-0 win over the Faroe Islands.

Gelson's breakthrough campaign in 2015-16 saw him compete for a regular start and feature in seven games in Europe.

But it was in 2016-17 he truly caught the eye, scoring six goals and contributing nine assists, the most in the Portuguese top flight.

A key game came in Sporting Lisbon's Champions League defeat at eventual winners Real Madrid, when Gelson terrorised the Real defence.

He scored 13 goals and provided 13 assists in 52 games this season in all competitions, and was named in the Europa League squad of the season by UEFA after helping Sporting reach the quarter-finals.

Gelson will be part of the Portugal squad at the World Cup in Russia.

Where does he play?

Gelson figures predominantly on the right wing, although he can play on the opposite flank and as a secondary striker behind the main front man.

His key attributes are his pace and dribbling ability, while a high number of assists indicates he knows how to deliver a cross and pick a pass from out wide.

Gelson is also capable of featuring at right-back having played in the position for both club and country at youth level.

(Image: JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images)

Has anybody been interested?

Besides Liverpool, Barcelona admitted in October 2016 they were watching Gelson, while Real Madrid and Manchester United have both been linked.

Indeed, it has been reported that United boss Jose Mourinho wanted the winger in January 2017 only for Gelson to stay put.

Chelsea and Manchester City are among the other clubs known to have previously tracked the player. Arsenal are the most recent club linked.

Sporting, let's not forget, have a decent record with wingers, having previously nurtured Ricardo Quaresma, Nani and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.

How much would he cost?

Martins signed a contract extension in February 2017 that ties him to Sporting until June 2022 with a release clause of 60 million euros.

However, with the player among several to have requested to have their Sporting contract rescinded after recent upheaval at the club, he could conceivably cost nothing in the coming weeks.