Liverpool have rejected a £15m offer from Southampton for youngster Fabio Carvalho, according to an update from the reliable David Ornstein.
The 21-year-old joined the Reds in the summer of 2022, arriving on a permanent deal from Fulham after impressing for the Cottagers in the Championship.
Despite a memorable last-gasp winner at home to Newcastle United early on in his Liverpool career, Carvalho has struggled to impress overall, seeing his chances of regular playing time limited.
In fact, the young attacking midfielder has been sent out on loan to RB Leipzig and Hull City, arguably throwing his long-term future at Anfield in doubt.
Carvalho has been enjoying a productive pre-season under Arne Slot, however, scoring in the 3-0 win over Manchester United in Columbia in the early hours of Sunday morning.
It looks as though his future is still going to be a big talking point in the coming weeks, though, with Ornstein taking to X to confirm Southampton’s unsuccessful bid for him:
“EXCL: Liverpool reject offer worth up to £15m from Southampton to sign Fabio Carvalho. LFC unwilling to sanction another loan + permanent bids will need to be significantly higher than SaintsFC proposal. 21yo wants to be regular starter.”
Our thoughts on Carvalho leaving Liverpool permanently…
This is a tricky one for Liverpool, considering Carvalho is yet to spark into life in a Reds shirt, hence his loan spells away from the club.
To receive as much as £15m for a fringe player could arguably be too good to turn down for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, but it looks as though they are holding out for more.
There is also a chance that Slot could see Carvalho as an important part of his plans, and it’s easy to forget that Jurgen Klopp once described him as “unbelievable”.
In truth, it feels like something of a win-win situation for Liverpool currently, in terms of either receiving good money for Carvalho this summer or possibly seeing him flourish with Slot in charge, becoming a key squad player.
The latter option feels most likely as things stand, and it would be heartwarming to see the former Fulham man overcome his early struggles on Merseyside.
