Tony Cascarino says Liverpool are ‘happy’ to sell Fabinho to Al-Ittihad this summer, as he questioned when clubs, such as Chelsea and the Reds, will be criticised for selling players to Saudi Arabia.
Players, and in some cases, managers have been questioned or criticised for going to the cash-rich Saudi Arabia, no more so than Jordan Henderson, whilst Chelsea have made a lot of money from sales to clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
But, for Cascarino, the clubs who are accepting the money and are selling these stars, aren’t under the same spotlight and he feels they should be, as he told talkSPORT.
At the age of 29, would Jurgen Klopp have wanted to sell Fabinho this summer? Perhaps not.
But when a rumoured £40 million is being put on the table (Sky Sports), then they probably have no choice but to accept that offer and then look to bring someone else in.
That imminent deal was spoken about by Cascarino and the ‘issue’ he has with it all.
“Fabinho going for £40 million,” said Cascarino. “Liverpool are very happy with that transfer fee for a guy who they paid for £44 million when they bought him.
“I feel like, ‘okay, I understand (why you are selling him)’. I’m not saying it’s wrong that Liverpool or Chelsea (are selling players to Saudi).
“The whole issue for me is that we are questioning players and managers for going to Saudi Arabia, yet clubs are allowed to sell them and that’s okay.”
Fabinho will be a big miss
It was a season to forget for the £180k-a-week star (Spotrac) in 2022/23, with Fabinho’s drop-off being the most surprising.
Whilst many pointed towards Virgil van Dijk not being the same since his injury or Jordan Henderson hitting 33 and now starting to decline.
There were no such issues for Fabinho, but many felt, with new faces around him, he would get back to his best in 2023/24, but that won’t be the case now.
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