Fabinho could be the next big-name Liverpool star to head to Saudi Arabia, with the Reds bracing themselves for a £40 million bid from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.
According to The Athletic, Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Fabinho has been the subject of a £40 million bid from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad.
Saudi Arabian clubs have opted for an aggressive recruitment strategy in recent months and have now set their sights on Liverpool stars. On the day that news broke that Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has given the green light to a controversial and lucrative move to the Middle East to join Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq, another Reds midfielder has now been added to the mix.
Al Ittihad are interested in signing Brazil international midfielder Fabinho. The reigning Saudi Pro League champions have already handed mega-money deals to free agents Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, as well as splashing out £25 million to secure the services of Portuguese winger Jota from Celtic. They have now identified Fabinho as their next target.
Liverpool have yet to receive a formal offer, and with three years remaining on his Anfield deal, the Reds will not let him leave on the cheap. He put pen to paper on a new deal in August 2021, having joined the club from Monaco in a move worth up to £44 million in the 2018 summer window.
With James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Roberto Firmino all now gone and Henderson’s future also up in the air, how much Liverpool are open to losing Fabinho remains to be seen.
Although last season was not his best, he has remained an integral member of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield as the sole specialist defensive enforcer and was Liverpool’s second-most-used player last term, starting 40 of the Reds’ 52 games in all competitions.
At the age of 29, Fabinho also does not hold the same “veteran” status as several who have made the move to the Middle East in recent times, but a £40 million or above offer may put the Reds’ resolve to the test as their midfield rebuild continues following the arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
Of course, the Anfield hierarchy won’t let the Brazil international leave Merseyside unless they have a replacement No. 6 in mind. The report adds that they are actively exploring their alternatives, with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia one being worked on.
This would be a high-risk strategy from Liverpool. Lavia is undoubtedly a gifted player and has all the tools to become a world-class midfielder in the near future. But at only 19 years old, the same age as last season’s breakout star Stefan Bejcetic, he has very little experience playing for a top-level club of Liverpool’s size and pressures.
