Had Liverpool succeeded in their first efforts to sign Fabio Carvalho from Fulham in January 2022, the former Portugal Under-21s international would have finished the campaign on loan at Craven Cottage before linking up with the Reds last summer.
As it happened, a deal wasn’t completed in time on transfer deadline day, so the forward finished the season with the Cottagers regardless. Returning 10 goals from 36 appearances, he played a vital role as they secured an immediate return to the Premier League by winning the Championship.
Of course, by the time Fulham had sealed promotion back to the English top-flight, Carvalho’s move to Liverpool was near enough complete behind the scenes. Out of contract last summer, a compensation package had already been agreed rather easily, with the Portuguese eventually moving to Anfield for an initial £5.5m.
