Fabio Carvalho has left Liverpool to join RB Leipzig on a season-long loan deal.
A handful of Premier League clubs that included Burnley, West Ham and Bournemouth all contacted Liverpool about Carvalho's situation in recent weeks after it became clear the Reds were open to a loan, but it was Leipzig whose efforts were most proactive.
The Bundesliga side have been desperate to secure a deal for Carvalho and had a bid believed to be in the region of around £10m rejected by the Reds last month.
And after undergoing a medical in Germany on Thursday, Carvalho has now signed on with Leipzig for the coming campaign in an effort to kick-start a career that has stalled since the turn of the calendar year.
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The ECHO understands that Liverpool were unwilling to entertain the idea of letting the 20-year-old leave on a permanent basis just 12 months into his career on Merseyside.
But having started just one game in 2023 - an FA Cup victory over Wolves in January - the former Fulham teenager was keen to secure more game-time for the 2023/24 campaign, something which is not guaranteed at Anfield as their efforts to strengthen the midfield department continue this summer.
And while senior Liverpool figures are adamant that Carvalho's best years remain at Anfield, both the club and the player are confident that Leipzig will offer the best environment for him to start to fulfill the potential that made him one of the most coveted young players in Europe at the turn of 2022.
It's possible that a strong season in the Bundesliga could tempt Leipzig to try and make their agreement permanent but Liverpool insist the move is only a temporary one to help the versatile youngster put a frustrating debut campaign behind him at Anfield.
On the move, Carvalho said: "For me, as a young player, it's a big step from England to move to the Bundesliga and RB Leipzig. I'm joining a team that plays very well and has been very successful in recent years. Now I want to help build on that and I'm really looking forward to this new challenge.
"My aim is to play as much as possible - in the league, in the cup and above all in the UEFA Champions League. RB Leipzig stands for giving young players exactly this opportunity to and that's why the club is perfect for me to be able to develop further."
Leipzig's Managing Director for sport, Max Eberl said: "Fabio Carvalho is an outstanding talent - not least the signing by Liverpool shows that. Fabio is fast, agile, tricky and creative. He tries to finish himself or can set the scene for his team-mates perfectly.
"Fabio will have the necessary time with us to get used to, to settle into a new country and a new club. And then we are very happy to be able to enrich our attacking game with him and to have even more options."
Liverpool initially made their move at the close of the January transfer last year but ran out of time on transfer deadline day to secure the terms at the time. However, an agreement was soon struck with Fulham for Carvalho to move at the end of that season after he had helped inspire a return to the Premier League for the Cottagers.
Carvalho was restricted to 13 Premier League appearances and 342 minutes across the entirety of last season as he made just three substitute appearances and one start in 2023.
