Liverpool continue to monitor Fulham wonderkid Fabio Carvalho, as speculation swirls regarding his future.
After graduating from the Fulham academy, the Portuguese playmaker has become an integral part of Marco Silva’s Championship-title chasing squad.
In 16 league appearances this season, the 19-year-old has seven goals and two assists with the Cottagers five points clear at the top of the table.
However, he is set to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign and has yet to agree to extended terms.
The Athletic report that January looks to be a pivotal month in deciding his immediate future, not only due to the fact that he is now free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with clubs abroad, but also as he has now changed agents.
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Up until this month, Carvalho had been represented by Unique Sports Management, with claims that he was unwilling to sign any new deal until he had ended that arrangement.
It is understood the player now no longer has a traditional agent as a point of contact, rather his family are discussing with a number of brokers across the continent.
Super agent Jorge Mendes is believed to have already been in contact with his compatriot and according to the Athletic report, ‘promised him the world’, although those talks are still at a provisional stage.
Carvalho has caught the attention of clubs all over Europe, with Liverpool said to be one of 12 teams currently monitoring his progress. Scouts from Anfield have been watching the talented midfielder for several weeks and bosses have received glowing reports from his impressive displays.
The fact that Carvalho would also fit into their wage structure and qualify as a homegrown player makes a move for him even more appealing.
There have been claims that the Reds have opened negotiations with Fulham and although there is definitive interest, those look premature at this point.
Instead, it is more likely they would try and tempt the teenager to join them once he becomes a free agent at the start of the summer window.
Despite the rumour mill kicking into overdrive, Fulham remain hopeful they could still come to terms on a contract extension, with manager Marco Silva urging those around him to make the right choice.
“He definitely has to keep his feet on the floor, and the people around him,” Silva explained earlier this week. “Because it is important to understand that sometimes you want to make a step bigger than your leg can take and sometimes you’re making a big mistake.
“I’m not saying that it will be with Fulham or club A, B or C. But sometimes you have to understand that a football career is not just in one moment — you have to prepare the future as well.”
He added: “Fabio has natural talent, and when you have natural talent, that is the first big step to have a big career and to get to the top.”
