Fabinho has been left out of Livepool’s squad travelling to their training camp in Germany after the club received a “serious offer” for the midfielder. A £40m bid for the Brazil international has been made by Al-Ittihad, one of four Saudi Arabian clubs owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund.
The Saudi club’s proposal prompted discussions at Anfield which ultimately resulted in a decision, taken in consultation with Fabinho, to withdraw the player from the squad which flew out on Saturday.
Liverpool’s captain, Jordan Henderson, who has also been the subject of speculation linking him to a reported £700,000-a-week offer from Al-Ettifaq – managed by former teammate Steven Gerrard – has travelled with the squad as there has been no bid for him as yet. It is understood Al-Ettifaq are offering £10m for the England international but Liverpool value the long-serving midfielder at closer to £20m.
With Fabinho likely to move on, Liverpool have been considering their options and had been considering a move for the Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia. But Fabinho’s exit would mean signing a player of a similar playing style and with greater experience in the Premier League.
That player will not be Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo, however, who now seems certain to join Chelsea this summer.
The Wales captain, Aaron Ramsey, has completed a return to his boyhood club Cardiff on a two-year contract. Ramsey made 22 appearances for the Bluebirds as a teenager and six more on loan from Arsenal in 2011 and remains their youngest ever player.
Having played for them in the 2008 FA Cup final, he went on to win the competition three times with the Gunners and added a Serie A title and a Coppa Italia with Juventus and a Scottish Cup on loan at Rangers before joining Nice. He has played in Europa League finals with Arsenal, for whom he made over 350 appearances, and Rangers and for Wales at two European Championships and a World Cup.
Ramsey told Cardiff’s website: “It feels unbelievable to finally be back here. I always thought one day I’d come back, and now it’s the perfect time to do that.
“To be back with my family and around familiar faces is just brilliant, so I’m delighted to be back here now … For me now to come full circle, to be part of this team now, and hopefully achieve the goals we want, there’s no better feeling than that.”
