As expected, Liverpool have this evening confirmed that Fabio Carvalho has joined Brentford on a permanent transfer.
Fabrizio Romano had indicated last night that he anticipated the deal to go through today, and he’s duly been proven correct, with Sky Sports citing the fee at an initial £22.5m with a further £5m in potential add-ons.
At 7pm on Monday, the Reds’ official website and social media channels announced the departure of the 21-year-old, who returns to west London having previously played for the Bees’ local rivals Fulham.
Having joined Liverpool two years ago, Carvalho enjoyed an explosive start to his Reds career, making his debut in the Community Shield triumph over Manchester City and, in one of his first games for the club, scoring a 98th-minute winner against Newcastle (liverpoolfc.com).
Those early displays earned him lofty praise from then-teammate Bobby Firmino, who said: “He’s a star, he’s a great player and now he’s also a very close friend. We are happy to have him here at Liverpool and I know he will help us a lot, with assists, goals and also his character on the pitch.” (Evening Standard)
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Unfortunately that proved to be a false dawn for him at Anfield, with the last of his 21 official first-team appearances coming as a substitute against Leicester in May 2023, having spent last season on loan at RB Leipzig and then Hull City.
Arne Slot gave him the platform to impress in pre-season this summer and the youngster took it, scoring against Arsenal and Manchester United. Indeed, in the final match that he’d play for the Reds, he netted the opener in a 3-0 win over Erik ten Hag’s side – not a bad way at all to sign off!
It’s a pity in one sense that Carvalho wouldn’t get the chance to build upon those promising displays in the USA, but with Brentford offering more than £1m per Liverpool appearance that he made, it was admittedly difficult for LFC to say no, particularly if the player was amenable to the move.
He never quite managed to make a lasting impact on Merseyside, but he still enjoyed some special moments among his brief Reds career, and we’re sure he’ll have plenty more with the Bees. Take good care of him please, Thomas Frank and co!
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A pity though!
So sorry for the young talented young Star that was not given the opportunity to enjoy his career at LFC. I sincerely pray for the best for you wherever you go. Don’t be discouraged, Fabio. Keep doing what you love doing. You are a very good player.
He is a good player. I wish him all the best