Due to Fabinho’s impending £40 million move to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, Liverpool is looking for a replacement. The midfielder’s five-year stint at Anfield, where he made 219 games and won seven trophies, will come to an end.
Luis Florentino
Fabinho has been one of the standout signings of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure and was pivotal to the Reds’ Champions League and Premier League triumphs under the German. But while Liverpool did not intend to sell the player this summer, the chance to make their money back on the 29-year-old – who is 30 in October and struggled last season – was too good to turn down.
A shortlist of names the Reds are looking at was released last week which featured Romeo Lavia, Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch and Kalvin Phillips. The Athletic have added that Cheick Doucoure and Boubacar Kamara from Crystal Palace and Aston Villa to their pool of options.
Another player being championed by Liverpool supporters is Benfica destroyer Florentino Luis. However This is Anfield say that while the Portuguese has been watched by scouts in recent seasons, insiders have played down the prospect of a bid this summer.
The 23-year-old is a similar stylistic profile to Fabinho and ticks the boxes in terms of age and experience. But he has a huge £103million release clause in his contract – although it has been suggested he will be available for less.
It is added that while Liverpool like Luis, they are currently looking elsewhere and them playing down interest does not appear to be a smokescreen. Palace’s Doucoure has emerged as the latest candidate to replace Fabinho as Liverpool’s No 6.
The Malian only joined the Eagles from Lens last summer for £21million. The 23-year-old played in 34 Premier League games and was named the Player of the Season in his debut campaign as Palace ended 11th.
The other most notable candidate is Southampton man Lavia, the 19-year-old whom the Saints want £50m to sell. The Belgian is widely expected to leave St Mary’s in the coming weeks with Arsenal and Chelsea other admirers of his talents.
Manchester City inserted a £40m buy-back clause in the deal that took Lavia to Southampton 12 months ago. The teenager was arguably the south coast club’s best player in a troubling season which saw them relegated back to the Championship for the first time since 2011-12.
Liverpool are on the hunt for a readymade successor to Fabinho and so Doucoure may suit more than Lavia, who has made just 36 senior appearances at club level and only 28 starts as opposed to the Palace man’s 171 (with 97 Premier League and Ligue 1 starts).
Liverpool reach verbal transfer agreement as rebuild continues
Liverpool and Al-Ettifaq of Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement to sell Jordan Henderson for a price of £12 million plus add-ons.
The 33-year-old is thought to have verbally agreed to a rumoured salary of £700,000 per week with the team, which is now managed by his former Anfield teammate Steven Gerrard.
The Reds captain has been in Germany with the team on their pre-season tour but was left out of Jurgen Klopp’s squad to face Karlsruher in their first friendly on Wednesday.
He has made 491 appearances since signing for Liverpool from Sunderland for £20m in 2011 and skippered the side to the Premier League title and the Champions League.
He has also won the FA Cup and two League Cups.
Last week the England LGBT+ supporters group criticised Henderson as rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia circulated, with the midfielder having been a vocal ally of the LGBT+ community in football.
He wore rainbow laces during England’s run to the Euro 2020 final and has repeatedly voiced his support for greater inclusivity in the game.
Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in the Gulf state.
A statement from the group read: “Our joy for Mr Henderson when he scored against Ukraine in the Euros (quarter-final) was, in part, due to his kindness and his ‘lucky’ rainbow laces.
“A banner was created to commemorate the low bar he had achieved in being outspoken on our right to support England & show visibility on the pitch.
“If the rumours are true, then that banner will be consigned to the depths of history.”