3 months ago
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Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
The young attacker performed well this preseason for Liverpool, but a logjam at the left attacking spot meant his path to playing time necessitated a move.
News broke at the end of last week that one of Liverpool’s preseason standouts, Fabio Carvalho, was close to making a permanent switch to Brentford. Carvalho was left out of both Liverpool sides that played friendly matches on Sunday against Sevilla and Las Palmas respectively, with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot revealing that a deal was in place between the two clubs.
It has now been officially announced by both clubs that Carvalho has officially become a Brentford player. The deal is expected to be worth £27.5m, including add-ons. It was also revealed that the deal is expected to include a 17.5% sell-on clause
Fabio Carvalho has completed a permanent transfer to Brentford.
Everyone at the Reds would like to wish Fabio the very best of luck for the future ❤️
Carvalho came to Liverpool two summers ago for a fee of around £5million with oversized expectations based on his performances as a teenager for Fulham in the Championship. The young attacking player never quite seemed to fit what Jürgen Klopp was looking for, however, and spent time on loan with both Hull City and Red Bull Leipzig.
It seemed like Carvalho may have been thrown a lifeline with new head coach Arne Slot. The now 21 year old performed well for the Reds during preseason while the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Núñez were all on leave from international duty. It always seemed unlikely that Carvalho would be able to make his way past the logjam at the left attacking position, so a move seemed to be in the cards for him to secure playing time.
The sizeable transfer fee for a youngster with a good amount of talent, but not quite the right fit for the club, should be a boon for Arne Slot as he attempts to add pieces to his liking. The departure of Carvalho may ultimately pave the way for the Martin Zubimendi deal to go through, with Liverpool likely having to pay the fee up front to trigger the release clause.
