Author: Amrit Santlani
Since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, the door has been opened for other stars to move to the Gulf state, and now many other world-renowned players have joined Ronaldo in the lucrative league, with Fabinho being pointed out as the last in line.
The Liverpool midfielder is being strongly linked with an exit as Saudi champions Al-Ittihad have agreed terms with the Brazilian midfielder for 25 million euros a year until 2026.
They are also willing to spend up to 45 million euros to acquire the 29-year-old and so Jurgen Klopp has a big task ahead of him to sign a replacement for Fabinho.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is also on the verge of completing a move to Saudi league club Al-Ettifaq for 12 million pounds. Henderson was due to meet former Liverpool legend Steven Gerard, who has been unveiled as the club’s new manager ahead of next season.
The Premier League side have already signed two midfielders, Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. It’s likely that the team will want to sign another midfielder and Fabinho’s departure would make room for another important signing.
According to a report in the Liverpool Echo, they have selected Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Fulham’s João Palhinha and Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure.
The Anfield side are already in negotiations with Southampton for Lavia, who seems to be the most viable candidate. Gravenberch, 21, would be a long-term solution, but the Bavarians probably won’t let him leave easily. Similarly, both Palhinha and Doucoure would be a good option to replace Fabinho, but they shouldn’t come cheap.
The Brazilian midfielder is expected to line up alongside the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Jota at Al-Ittihad, who continue to splash the cash ahead of their title defense.
Liverpool have also been linked with Sofyan Amrabat and Kalvin Phillips, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to convince Fiorentina and Manchester City to part with their key midfielders, who are likely to receive a large fee.