Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been cleared to complete a £40m move to Al-Ittihad;
Jordan Henderson is included in the pre-season roster with Al-Ettifaq yet to bid for the Reds captaincy; Romeo Lavia, Kalvin Phillips, Ryan Gravenberch and Sofyan Amrabat are all targets, but Moises Caicedo is not one of them
Liverpool midfielder Fabinho did not travel with the squad to their training camp in Germany after the club received a £40m offer from Al-Ittihad for the Brazilian.
The bid from the Saudi Pro League side was submitted on Friday evening and the 29-year-old has been cleared to undergo a medical and complete the formalities of a deal.
Fabinho joined Liverpool from Monaco for £43.7m in 2018 and made 219 appearances for the Reds, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
But the Brazil international now looks set to end his five-year spell at Anfield with a move to Saudi champions Al-Ittihad, one of four Saudi Arabian clubs owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund.
The receipt of Al-Ittihad’s £40m offer sparked discussions within the club, which led to a decision, taken in consultation with Fabinho, to withdraw the player from the squad who flew to Germany on Saturday. Lavia and Phillips could replace Fabinho | Caicedo is not a destination
Here’s a look at why some elite Premier League players are considering a move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia
Liverpool had considered candidates to replace Fabinho long-term, with Romeo Lavia top of the list.
The Brazilian’s impending sale could see a profile switch to more experienced options, but Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo is not one of them.
Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips is among the players Liverpool are watching, as are Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat.
The Liverpool midfielder is undergoing a transformation this summer, with the experienced James Milner joining Brighton and the contracts of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita expiring.
They were replaced by 24-year-old Argentina world champion Alexis Mac Allister and 22-year-old Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai for a total of £95million. Fabinho’s offer, who turns 30 in October, seen as another refresher opportunity
According to The Athletic, Fabinho is keen to join Al-Ittihad – last season he clinched his first Saudi Pro League title in 14 years, beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr for the crown. And the report adds that the Reds are already considering several possible defensive midfield replacements.
Southampton’s Romeo Lavia remains linked with Liverpool, as does Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch; Kalvin Phillips could also be an option, having barely featured since joining Manchester City this time last year, as could Moroccan World Cup semi-finalist Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.
Farewell to a great modern Reds?
Fabinho joined Liverpool from Monaco in 2018 and since then has made 219 appearances for the club, which was crucial (literally) to their 2018/19 Champions League triumph and 2019/20 Premier League title.
The former Fluminense youngster has three years left on his contract at Anfield but as things stand he looks set to be out. Jordan Henderson also attracted interest from Saudi Arabia this week, with Al-Ettifaq – now managed by former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard – making a bid for the current Reds captain.
