Liverpool are reportedly set to finalise a £40 million deal with Al Ittihad for Fabino this week, with the Brazilian midfielder set to undergo his medical.
According to Football Insider, Fabinho has been given the green light by Liverpool to finalise a £40 million Saudi Pro League move and complete his medical with Al Ittihad. Although the Reds are still locked in talks with the reigning Saudi Pro League champions over the structure of payments, it is understood that the negotiations are at an advanced stage, with a deal expected to go through.
The Brazilian, who was widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the world not long ago, has been a mainstay for the Reds since his £39 million move from AS Monaco in the summer of 2018. A vital cog in their recent success, the 29-year-old has racked up 219 appearances across his five seasons at Anfield, helping them lift every trophy possible at the club level during his Anfield career.
However, there were strong signs last season that Fabinho’s peak days were behind him. And with Liverpool’s midfield, on occasions, being outworked and outrun, doubts have surfaced over the Brazilian international’s long-term future at Anfield and whether his legs are starting to wane with advancing years as the Reds missed out on UEFA Champions League football.
As a consequence, Klopp has ruthlessly rebuilt the Liverpool midfield. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and James Milner were all allowed to walk away as free agents at the end of their contracts. And while Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have since signed for a combined £95 million, the Reds still hope to sign at least one more.
More departures at Anfield could also be on the cards. Fabinho has not travelled with the Reds to a training camp in Germany after Saudi Pro League winners Al Ittihad made a tempting £40 million offer for Fabinho last week. A deal came out of nowhere but now looks inevitable now that it has been agreed by all parties involved.
That will see the Reds boost their coffers to the tune of £40 million. Fabinho’s exit will free up Liverpool to sign a new No. 6 as a replacement. Romeo Lavia is one player on their radar, though Southampton’s £50 million asking price looks steep for a player with only one season of top-level football under his belt.
Fabinho is not the only Liverpool midfielder who could be heading to Saudi Arabia this summer, with club captain Jordan Henderson also in talks over a lucrative £700,000-per-week move to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq.
