Wednesday brought some disappointing news for Liverpool fans, as Fabio Carvalho was rumoured to have been put up for sale.
As per the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, Carvalho will be sold in the upcoming summer market.
“Fabio Carvalho I am told is also leaving,” the journalist said on his Here We Go podcast. “We have to see what solution they will find but he is young and he is never playing so it is important to clarify these things.”
It remains to be seen whether indeed the 20-year-old will leave Anfield this summer. Perhaps a loan move could even suit all parties involved.
But for the time being, Carvalho has a right to be angry with Jurgen Klopp. Having brought him from Fulham with the promise of a decent role at a huge club, it could be argued that selling the youngster now would be a complete betrayal of those promises.
Two sides to every story
Of course, there are two sides to every story and Carvalho hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory at Liverpool. He’s done okay, but considering the excitement over his signing, the Portugal U21 star hasn’t lived up to his ‘special’ billing.
There are reasons for that. Firstly, Liverpool don’t really play the kind of system that Fabio could thrive in. He’s very much an archetypal No.10, and the Reds just don’t have a spot for him.
When asked to do a slightly different job for the team, Carvalho has looked a little lightweight. Perhaps Klopp has decided he simply isn’t a good fit for what his team needs.
But then again, why would you give up on so much potential so early on. Plenty of players have taken time to settle in at Liverpool before hitting their straps later on. It should be remembered that Carvalho was playing Championship football this time last year after all. He doesn’t turn twenty-one until the end of August and has talent that suggests he can still be a success at Liverpool.
If he were to leave prematurely, Carvalho would be justified in feeling he hasn’t been given a proper chance by Klopp. The manager played him plenty early on in the season – perhaps even too much. Since the turn of the year though, he’s hardly had a sniff. With the team in desperate form, the No.28 has deserved more opportunity to prove himself.
Still, if they were to sell him, you still feel Liverpool would get a decent fee. In the right team and the right system, Carvalho has the potential to be a world-beater. That could still be at Anfield, but right now it isn’t looking too good.