Forgotten Liverpool wonderkid faces uncertain future

Suraj Radia

• 13 Dec 2023 17:06 GMT
• 3 min read

Jurgen Klopp may be thanking RB Leipzig for selling him Dominik Szoboszlai this summer, with the playmaker thriving at Anfield, but the Bundesliga giants have not been beneficial to another one of Liverpool’s stars this season.

Szoboszlai has been a standout performer for the Reds since his €70 million transfer in the summer, providing five goal contributions in the Premier League and showcasing his versatility all across the midfield.

Liverpool felt they had benefitted twice with the arrival of Szoboszlai after agreeing to loan Fabio Carvalho to Leipzig for the season in the hopes their young talent could replace the Hungarian in Marco Rose’s side.

But just a few months on, Liverpool are looking to recall Carvalho from his loan after he failed to establish himself as a first-team regular, making just one start in the league and only playing 78 minutes since September.

The 21-year-old was keen to leave Liverpool in search of first team football and the move to Leipzig was considered a no brainer for both sides, with Carvalho deemed a high-potential successor to Szoboszlai.

But the arrival of Xavi Simons on loan a few weeks later has made Carvalho redundant to Leipzig and the Portuguese international is now set to return to Liverpool despite not appearing to have a future under Klopp either, leaving his career in limbo.

What next for Carvalho?

Carvalho joined Liverpool in 2022 from Fulham in a move which was touted as a coup, such was the hype surrounding the midfielder, although he grew frustrated with a bit part role in his first season at the club, having made just four Premier League starts across the campaign.

The youngster hinted towards a fractured relationship with Klopp, admitting he had not spoken to his manager about his loan and that he didn’t communicate much with the German at all.

Carvalho also described life at Leipzig as ‘a little tough’, having seen Simons excel in his role, leaving the Liverpool loanee out in the cold at both his parent club and his new team.

The next steps for Carvalho remain unclear, with Klopp unlikely to be convinced that the ex-Fulham man warrants gametime upon his return and the club may look to loan him out once again.

With three-and-a-half years left on his contract, Carvalho still has time to become a success at Liverpool but it may take an adaptation on his part to embrace his role as a squad player or once again push for an exit in order to make the most of his sky-high potential.