Premier League giants Liverpool could now miss out on Fabio Carvalho with Fulham determined to keep the wonderkid for their ongoing Championship promotion push, according to The Mail (live blog, 10.55am).
During Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Blackpool at Craven Cottage, Carvalho turned on the style and showed everyone just what all the fuss is about.
Spinning away from his marker on the halfway line, the Portuguese-born playmaker combined beautifully with Neeskens Kabano before haring down on goal.
He squared up to a backpeddling defender, shifted the ball onto his left foot and, in the blink of an eye, hammered a shot towards the Blackpool net.
Imagine Carvalho’s frustration, then, when the ball rebounded back off the post. After all that good work, no reward. But while Carvalho would miss out on his eighth goal of an exceptional breakthrough season, the rest of a typical, flowing Fulham move highlighted why the 19-year-old whizzkid is a player in such high demand.
Supremely self-confident, boasting guile and grit in equal measure, Carvalho possesses the kind of ruthless end product not often associated with someone so young. Even if his radar was a little off on Saturday.
He’s scored seven goals and set up four more for a Fulham side five points clear at the top under Marco Silva. Unsurprisingly, the Cottagers want to keep such a ‘fantastic‘ talent – to quote Silva – around for as long as possible.
Will Liverpool now miss out on Fabio Carvalho?
Liverpool were expecting to seal a £5 million deal for Carvalho on deadline day. One that would see the former England U18 international return to West London on loan until the summer.
Fulham, however, have come to the conclusion that they would rather not sell Carvalho now. Perhaps fearing that a move to one of the biggest clubs on the continent may distract their fresh-faced talisman from the task at hand.
The Mail adds that Liverpool may be ‘reluctant’ to sign Carvalho in the summer too.
He will be a free-agent in July. But, as he is under the age of 24, Fulham may be due a sizeable fee following a tribunal.
That may be in excess of the £5 million Liverpool are prepared to pay.
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