A pre-contract agreement to sign Fabio Carvalho is "expected"

A pre-contract agreement to sign Fabio Carvalho is "expected", reports the Independent's Melissa Reddy.

A deal had been agreed between the two clubs, with an £8m fee being agreed on with the 19-year-old undergoing a hastily arranged medical but the paperwork couldn't be processed in time as a deal fell through.

Silva said Carvalho wouldn't leave Craven Cottage days before deadline

Liverpool had no public plans to sign the attacking midfielder and abruptly switched gears when it became apparent they could sign him, secure his coveted signature ahead of their competition and loan him back to Fulham.

But the Cottagers were unmovable on the idea of keeping him in January and Silva told the media days before deadline day that the teenager would not be leaving the club during the winter transfer window.

He said: "It's completely out of our plans for Fabio to leave the club in this window, completely out.

"The most important players we have in our squad and the others that are behind, working hard to play and waiting for their chance, they will be with us until the end of the season and Fabio is one of them."

Liverpool "expect" to sign Fabio Carvalho on a pre-contract agreement

According to Melissa Reddy, who is much like Paul Joyce in that she only reports when she has the cold hard facts, a pre-contract agreement for Fulham teenager Fabio Carvalho to join Liverpool in the summer is expected.

The deal fell through late on the 31st as there was not enough time to process his move to Liverpool and the loan back to Fulham.

However, both clubs are keen to avoid the need for a tribunal to decide the compensation owed to Fulham for their development of Carvalho and so Reddy reports a pre-contract agreement is "expected".

If a club were outside England were to sign the 19-year-old and the fee were to be set by a tribunal, Fulham would be entitled to just £500,000 and so I imagine the Londoners will be keen to avoid Borussia Dortmund signing the youngster.

Verdict: A win-win scenario for all involved so long as speculation ends soon

If both clubs can end the speculation as soon as possible so the player can put his head down and focus on his football without the prospect of a huge move to Liverpool weighing on him, then this is the perfect way to solve what was a disastrous end to deadline day.

Luis Diaz's signing for Liverpool means that no matter what happen with the Carvalho talks, fans were going to be very happy but it was quite disappointing to learn that the Reds were in for Carvalho only for the deal to tank hours later.

But, he would have returned to Fulham on loan in any case so not much changes on that front and so if the two clubs can reach an agreement soon, a pre-contract agreement for the summer would be perfect.