Liverpool are reportedly bracing themsleves for a follow-up offer for one of the standout players of the pre-season tour to USA.
On Sunday, Paul Joyce reported for The Times that the Reds had turned down a bid of £15m from Southampton for Fabio Carvalho, who scored against both Arsenal and Manchester United over the past week.
As per CaughtOffside, the Saints are planning to return with an improved offer of around €21m (£18m), but that’d still fall short of LFC’s asking price of €25m-€30m (£21.5m-£25.8m).
Liverpool will only consider parting with the 21-year-old if they receive permanent bids in that region, as they’re not interested in loaning him out, and the player’s agents have seemingly informed the club that he’s happy to stay put after getting his chance under Arne Slot in the U.S.
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With Carvalho impressing in pre-season but still likely to face stern competition for a regular starting berth at Liverpool, it comes as no surprise that the likes of Southampton are trying to entice him away from Anfield for good.
The forward never managed to establish himself under Jurgen Klopp, but with Slot now at the helm and surely impressed by what he’s seen from him over the past few weeks, he could yet have a lasting future with the Reds.
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Of course, that’s if a prospective suitor doesn’t come along this month with a bid which matches LFC’s asking price. Should an offer of £25m or so come in, that may well spark frenzied discussions behind the scenes on Merseyside.
Liverpool have had a happy habit of cashing in on players at the right time – the lucrative sales of Dominic Solanke (£19m) and Rhian Brewster (£23.5m) spring to mind – but we’d be all for seeing Carvalho getting a sustained chance to prove his worth at Anfield this season, especially after such a standout week for him in America.
As ever, we trust in the club’s hierarchy to make the right call in the long-term regarding a player who Bobby Firmino once dubbed a future ‘star‘.
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