Player Regis Le Bris turned down for Sunderland now at centre of Champions League transfer tussle - report

Cesar Huerta, linked with Sunderland during the summer transfer window, could be on the cusp of a move to a Champions League club, according to reports.

The winger was at the centre of an unexpected saga when it was revealed that Premier League giants Liverpool had been interested in signing him from current employers Pumas UNAM, with view to immediately sending him out on loan to the Stadium of Light.

According to TUDN, however, a large part of the reason that Huerta’s transfer to Anfield did not materialise was because Regis Le Bris was not keen on the idea of the Mexican international joining up with his squad. As such, a permanent move to Merseyside was also scuppered.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

These claims were seemingly backed up by Pumas UNAM president Luis Raúl González Pérez, who stated at the time: “It had nothing to do with the club [Liverpool] or his intention, on the contrary, they recognised the qualities of Huerta. External circumstances of the teams themselves that envisioned it could not materialise. I repeat, not because of the quality of Huerta, but because of external circumstances.”

As for the player himself, Huerta has made no secret of how close he came to signing for Liverpool. In an interview with Spanish language outlet AS, he said: “I already had my suitcase ready, and I dropped it. I know that sooner or later, if I keep doing things right, I’ll get the opportunity. It’s a train that only happens once and I’m focused on Pumas. I come to the national team, and I try to do my best to help my team. I know the rest will come soon.”

But it would appear that Huerta could still seal a high profile transfer to a European heavy hitter in the relatively near future. According to El Universal, Portuguese giants Benfica are currently “the most advanced club in negotiations” to sign the 24-year-old next year, but could face competition from La Liga outfit Girona, who are said to have “offered a very good salary” to the player.

Either way, if Huerta were to sign for Benfica or Girona, he would be moving to a Champions League club just months after his proposed loan to Sunderland was rebuffed.