An update from Paul Joyce appears to indicate that Fabinho could be on the verge of leaving Liverpool, who’ve received an offer of £40m from a Saudi Arabian club.
Just after 11am on Saturday morning, The Times journalist tweeted: “Fabinho left out of Liverpool squad for tour to Germany after £40m bid from Al-Ittihad. Jordan Henderson travels.”
Despite previous reports that the 29-year-old would likely travel with the Reds for their pre-season camp in Baden-Württemberg (The Telegraph), his absence from the travelling party is the strongest hint yet that his time at Anfield may soon be coming to an end.
That Henderson – who’s also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia – has travelled with the Liverpool squad to Germany but Fabinho hasn’t suggests that the latter could well be on his way to Al-Ittihad imminently.
If he were a part of Jurgen Klopp’s plans for the upcoming season, he’d surely be with the rest of his teammates as they fly out today.
Instead, it now seems only a matter of time before the Brazil international departs the Reds after a five-year spell at the club in which he made 219 appearances and won seven trophies (Transfermarkt).
If Fabinho’s exit is confirmed in the coming days, Liverpool must immediately step up their efforts to replace him with an experienced holding midfielder of a high enough standard to succeed at Anfield.
Romeo Lavia is talented but still very raw, and the same can be said for current Reds gem Stefan Bajcetic, who also is just coming back off a long-term absence.
The midfield overhaul on Merseyside had already been a substantial one this summer, and it could be about to accelerate in the coming days and weeks after Joyce’s bombshell revelation.
You can see the journalist’s tweet below, via @_pauljoyce on Twitter:
Fabinho left out of Liverpool squad for tour to Germany after £40m bid from Al-Ittihad. Jordan Henderson travels.
— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) July 15, 2023
#Ep80 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Fabinho & Jordan Henderson… going, going, gone?🎙️
Good news if it happens. He was dreadful last season and much of the previous one. Double the 40 and buy Caicedo.