‘Outstanding’ Liverpool player now right on the verge of leaving Anfield, he’s agreed deal

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Fabinho is now one step away from leaving Liverpool having agreed to sign for Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.

The 29-year-old hasn’t travelled with Liverpool for their pre-season camp in Germany this week. With a transfer hanging over him, it looks like we’ve seen the last of Fabinho.

According to Brazilian outlet Globo, that’s very much now the case. They claim that Fabinho is ‘close’ to joining Al Ittihad, having fully agreed a contract with them.

The Brazil international is said to be merely waiting for his new club to conclude their negotiations with Liverpool, and all will be sealed.

As reported elsewhere, Globo also claim the transfer fee will be a nice round £40m.

Fabinho on verge of Liverpool exit

It now just feels like a matter of time before we see official announcements from Liverpool about Fabinho’s exit. That will bring to an end an excellent five-year career at Anfield in which the former Monaco man won it all.

And although there will be sadness at him leaving, there is a sense that the timing is right here, for everyone.

Of course, it would have been better to see him carry on at the top-level in Europe. Despite his decline last season, we still feel Fabinho has plenty to offer yet.

With new legs around him, there was a hope that this could still be at Liverpool. Indeed, it doesn’t appear that Jurgen Klopp was actively looking to replace Fab this summer. The manager perhaps harboured hopes that his defensive midfielder could still be the ‘outstanding’ player he once told BBC Sport that he was.

But in the end, the Reds No.3 will head to Al Ittiahd, where he’s set to form a midfield partnership with N’Golo Kante.

Two, three, four years ago that would have been a midfield destroying duo for any top club to dream of. But with Kante often out injured and Fabinho in seemingly steep decline, it no longer looks quite so impressive.

That won’t be Liverpool’s concern, though. Instead, they’ll need to make sure they re-invest this unexpected £40m cash boost as wisely and as quickly as they can.