Liverpool Reject Southampton’s Bid for Fabio Carvalho
Liverpool Football Club has turned down a bid from Southampton amounting to £15 million for the transfer of Fabio Carvalho. The 21-year-old forward was previously targeted by Southampton in January, before joining Hull City on loan. After securing promotion to the Premier League, Southampton expressed interest in signing Carvalho permanently. However, Liverpool’s hierarchy has rejected the offer, as they are not keen on another temporary departure for the young player.
If Liverpool were to consider selling Carvalho, the fee would need to be significantly higher than Southampton’s offer. The newly-appointed head coach, Arne Slot, has been highly impressed with Carvalho’s performance during pre-season and plans to utilize him in the 2024-2025 season, unless more suitable proposals come in.
Carvalho has showcased his potential in Liverpool’s recent friendlies during their USA tour. He started in all three matches against Real Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United, scoring a goal and demonstrating sharpness on the field. The absence of senior squad members allowed Carvalho to shine and make the most of his opportunities both in matches and training.
With the possibility of a formation change to 4-2-3-1, there may be an opening for Carvalho in the No.10 position. However, Slot also rates Carvalho in the wide left position, similar to where Philippe Coutinho played at a similar age. Carvalho’s versatility and impressive goal and assist record in the Championship for Hull City and Fulham make him an attractive prospect for Liverpool.
While Carvalho would ideally like to stay at Liverpool, his priority is game time and being a key player rather than a bit-part contributor. If that means transferring to a so-called smaller team, he is open to the idea. Discussions about his future will take place once Liverpool returns to the UK.
It remains unclear how persistent Southampton will be in their pursuit of Carvalho, especially as they are also pursuing Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley. However, Carvalho was impressed by Southampton boss Russell Martin during their talks in the winter, indicating that there could be continued interest from their side. Additionally, other clubs are likely to pursue Carvalho in the weeks leading up to the transfer deadline.
Liverpool signed Carvalho from Fulham in 2022, and he is currently under contract until June 2027.