Fabio Carvalho never truly kicked on at Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp admission

Fabio Carvalho’s time at Anfield has come to an end after Liverpool agreed to sell him to Brentford - an outcome that former boss Jurgen Klopp saw coming years before.

The deal for Carvalho features a fixed fee of $25 million (£20 million) and an additional $9.6 million (£7.5 million) in add-ons. Liverpool will also have a 17.5 percent sell-on clause inserted into the move.

Carvalho showed flashes of brilliance while starting on the left flank in all three of Liverpool’s pre-season matches, scoring in two of the friendlies versus Arsenal and Manchester United during the Reds’ tour of the United States. Though the 21-year-old appeared willing to fight for a spot in the first-team at Anfield , the promise of more playing time elsewhere was the main motivator behind his departure.

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Since joining the Reds from Fulham in the summer of 2022, Carvalho has struggled to find consistent playing time, scoring three goals across 21 appearances for Liverpool. Speaking to reporters near the end of the 2022-23 campaign, Klopp asserted that he was impressed with what he’d seen from the Portuguese, though conceded that the lack of minutes could be weighing on him.

“There is a possibility that maybe Fabio will go on loan, or whatever,” he said. “We will see that. The thing is, this was not Fabio’s best year in his career, clear, in a young career, but it might’ve been his most important. No player has impressed me more than Fabio.

“That’s the truth, because this very talented boy came here with big dreams and big expectations. It was OK in the beginning, but it didn’t work out in the end. His work ethic will give him a fantastic career because he trained getting nothing, and for a player you have only one present each week: you line me up, if you don’t do that, take me in the squad.

“It’s my only chance to satisfy a player. If I don’t do that, it’s about the player and how he reacts and his reactions in a row, I never saw before. Unbelievable. I’m not sure if he goes on loan, or whatever, if we keep him, we will see that.”

The following season, Carvalho was sent out on loan to RB Leipzig, but suffered through a miserable first half stretch with the Bundesliga club. He later gained his footing in the Championship with Hull City, recording nine goals in 20 starts.

Brentford was one of several suitors that inquired this summer about Carvalho, who is set to ink a five-year deal with Thomas Frank's side. Liverpool, meanwhile, will once again turn its attention towards its pursuit of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.