Why did Liverpool NOT sign Fabio Carvalho?
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 31 Jan 2022 23:41 GMT
- 4 min read
It seemed set to happen throughout transfer deadline day, but Fabio Carvalho's move from Fulham to Liverpool fell through at the final hurdle.
A medical had been completed, but the paperwork between the two teams wasn't handed in by the 11pm deadline. Unlike the Premier League, the English Football League (EFL) doesn't have deal sheets, meaning a full deal needed to be agreed by 11pm.
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Dele Alli's move to Everton wasn't completed by 11pm, but because the deal sheet was handed in, that move is able to be finalised after the deadline. Due to the fact Fulham, Carvalho's current club, play in the EFL, Liverpool couldn't do the same, and it's led to them missing out on the player.
The valuation of Carvalho differed between the two clubs across January, but it was always known that if a deal was agreed then the attacking midfielder would return to Fulham on loan for the rest of the season. However, the paperwork wasn't submitted by the deadline, with both clubs acknowledging an agreement had been made, although they were aware they faced a tough task to get a deal done in time.
Carvalho's deal at Fulham expires in the summer, and it's believed that a deal will be completed in the summer. Liverpool were keen to sign him this window due to the complications of a potential tribunal if the deal was left to the summer. That's what happened with Harvey Elliott, when he joined Jurgen Klopp's side from Fulham in 2019.
However, the Reds will now have to conduct business for the player when the summer window opens, when he will be a free agent.
How good is Carvalho?
In May 2020, he signed his first professional contract with Fulham, and in the 2020/21 season he made his debut in a League Cup victory against Sheffield Wednesday.
A year after signing his first pro deal, he made his Premier League debut against Chelsea and a couple of weeks later scored his first senior goal in the top flight in a loss against Southampton.
In the 2021/22 campaign, he has impressed so far, scoring eight goals and recording two assists in 15 starts.
Carvalho has all the tools required to be a top performer in the number 10 position.
He is particularly talented at receiving the ball to feet in midfield with his back to goal and spinning quickly to face the other way, allowing him to drive forward into the final third.
Following his goal against Southampton last season, then manager Scott Parker said: "Carvalho is a big positive. A massive positive for us because he’s the one who’s going to be here, he’s a player that is really bright and can bring something to this team and you saw that today.
“We’ve seen his quality today, we’ve seen him scoring and assisting at an under-23 level but now he’s been around first-team players, he’s pushed on and done that as well.
“I don’t want to heap too much on Fabio because he’s still a young boy but the future’s bright for him and he’s someone that I really like."
Liverpool's January
Although Klopp's team missed out on sealing a deal for Carvalho, it's believed that will be finalised in the summer. As for January, a deal for forward Luis Diaz was agreed, with the Colombian arriving from Porto.
He typically plays as an inside left forward, so would perfectly suit Liverpool's system, although it may come at a cost for Sadio Mane.
