Liverpool have rejected RB Leipzig’s opening bid for Fabio Carvalho, with the figures behind the offer explaining why they saw it as “derisory.” Carvalho is expected to leave Anfield this summer, but the club’s preference appears to be to send their No. 28 out on loan. Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinze reported that Leipzig made a formal offer for the 20-year-old worth €12 million, which the Times’ Paul Joyce described as “derisory” according to club sources. Football Insider’s David Lynch reports that Leipzig will return with a renewed bid, with a buy-back clause potentially convincing the Reds to sell – but any deal would need to be significantly improved.
Liverpool initially paid an initial £5 million for Carvalho when they signed him from Fulham in May 2022, with a further £2.7 million factored into the deal in various add-ons. It is likely that at least some of those add-ons have already been paid, with Carvalho having played 21 times last season and scoring three goals. Subtracting an estimated £5.5 million from Leipzig’s offer of £10.3 million would leave a profit of £4.8 million, of which £960,000 would be owed to Fulham. That would leave just £3.84 million to Liverpool. Spotrac report Carvalho’s annual wage to be £2.08 million – or £40,000 per week – which would reduce any profit to £1.76 million. Liverpool also paid £33.7 million in fees to intermediaries and agents in 2022/23, across 39 deals, which further reduces any potential profit from a sale of Carvalho. It is no surprise then that Leipzig’s offer was dismissed so emphatically.