THE director of Uruguayan club Nacional has welcomed the prospect of forging a partnership with Liverpool.

Director of Football Damien Comolli revealed earlier this week that the Reds are looking to strengthen ties with the Montevideo-based club, who sold them defender Sebastian Coates. Another Liverpool star, Luis Suarez, also came through the Nacional Academy.

And club director Alejandro Balbi has confirmed that an exchange programme, believed to be over a five year period, has been agreed in principle between the two clubs.

Balbi said: "We will meet in the next few weeks to come to an arrangement over an exchange programme. Liverpool have seen that a lot of talent has come through our Academy in recent years – not just Luis Suarez and Sebastian Coates, but 14 of the 23 who won the Copa America, and so they expressed an interest in establishing a formal connection.”