Liverpool have finalised a deal for Fabio Carvalho that will see the exciting Portuguese winger join from Fulham for €5 million plus add-ons in the summer, bringing to an end a chase the club had failed to complete on deadline day of the most recent transfer window.
Carvalho was all set to swap west London for Merseyside in January after negotiations between both parties eventually led to a €10 million fee being agreed upon – Fulham had rejected Liverpool’s opening offer of €6 million – but ultimately time ran out for the transfer to be rubber-stamped, in large part due to the complex nature of the talks.
Jürgen Klopp never lost interest in the 19-year-old, however, and with his contract ending in the summer, was determined to sign him before he became a free transfer and thus hugely attractive to rival bidders.
That was relatively easy to organise given Carvalho had agreed personal terms with Liverpool, as well as completing a medical, when he appeared to set to join them a little over two months ago.
He will now do so on July 1st – when his contract with Fulham expires – with the transfer expected to be officially announced next month. There are also no plans for Carvalho to be loaned back to Fulham.
Carvalho, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder, was born in Portugal and has represented the country at under-21 level, scoring on his second appearance against Greece at the end of March in a European Under-21 Championship qualifier. Previous to that, he played with England at youth level. He joined Fulham’s academy at the age of eight and having made his debut in a 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in September 2020, quickly became a first-team regular.
He has made 31 appearances for Marco Silva’s side in all competitions this season, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists, and could well face Fulham next season given they appear poised for an immediate return to the Premier League as Championship champions. They are currently top of the division, five points clear of second-place Bournemouth and 17 points clear of third-place Huddersfield.
Carvalho’s contract with Liverpool will last until 2027 and he is expected to be on their pre-season tour to the Far East ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. – Guardian
