Liverpool have finalised a deal for Fabio Carvalho that will take the exciting winger from Fulham for £5m plus add-ons in the summer, ending a chase the club failed to complete on deadline day of the most recent transfer window.
Carvalho was ready to swap west London for Merseyside in January after negotiations led to a £8.4m fee being agreed upon – Fulham had rejected Liverpool’s opening offer of £5m – but ultimately time ran out for the transfer. Jürgen Klopp never lost interest in the 19-year-old, however, and with his contract ending in the summer, was determined to sign him before he became a free agent and thus hugely attractive to rival bidders.
That was relatively easy to organise given Carvalho had agreed personal terms with Liverpool, as well as completing a medical, when he appeared set to join them a little over two months ago. He will now do so on 1 July – when his contract with Fulham expires – with the transfer expected to be officially announced next month.
The add-on payments will be in the region of £2.7m, with Liverpool also agreeing to a £20% sell-on fee. There are no plans for Carvalho to be loaned back to Fulham.
Carvalho, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder, was born in Portugal but is an England Under-21 international. He progressed through Fulham’s academy and having made his debut in a 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in September 2020, quickly became a first-team regular.
He has made 31 appearances for Marco Silva’s side in all competitions this season, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists, and could well face Fulham next season given they appear poised for an immediate return to the Premier League as Championship champions. They are top of the division, five points clear of second-place Bournemouth and 17 points clear of third-place Huddersfield.
Carvalho’s contract with Liverpool will last until 2027 and he is expected to be on their pre-season tour to the far east before the 2022-23 campaign.
