Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Liverpool are still very interested in Fabio Carvalho in spite of a deal falling through for the young playmaker on deadline day.
The 19-year-old was set to sign for the Reds before he was due to be immediately loaned back to Fulham for the remainder of the season.
An £8m fee was agreed, he had completed a medical and agreed to personal terms but it all came to a crashing halt as the 11pm deadline approached all too soon for the paperwork to be processed in time.
There have been a multitude of reports from journalists in the UK, claiming that the Reds are still confident a deal can be agreed ahead of the summer when his contract expires at Craven Cottage.
Jurgen Klopp, speaking at a press conference ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup clash with Cardiff City, admitted that the Merseysiders are still interested in Carvalho but says that what happens next is not in Liverpool’s hands.
He said: “We are really interested still. We will see. It’s obviously not in our hands. It was late before the deadline and it didn’t work out. We will see what happens.”
https://twitter.com/AnfieldWatch/status/1489532687375384584
Carvalho is a hugely exciting talent and it’s a shame that Liverpool couldn’t get a deal to sign him over the line in time but not much would have changed if they had as he would have been loaned back to Fulham anyway.
If Julian Ward and Michael Edwards can get an agreement in place for the end of the season and make sure he’s a Liverpool player by the summer, then all this fuss will be for nothing.
For now, there’s no reason to panic as there are yet to be any reports that likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea are planning an approach so Liverpool are in the clear for the time being.
Klopp on transfers: "Our strategy is to sign right players at the right moment. We recognise issues in terms of positions or contracts. We will never miss having a look ahead. That's what we are doing. Building a team for today and tomorrow."
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) February 4, 2022
Carvalho certainly fits into the bracket of “building a team for tomorrow” as at 19, he has a lot of football left to play in his career but he is already a player that can make an impact at Liverpool.
I can only imagine the effect a manager like Jurgen Klopp could have on his career and if Harvey Elliott’s recent progression up until his injury is an indication of what to expect from another Fulham Academy graduate, I’m excited.
