Tim Sherwood claims Klopp picked Fabinho over Frenkie de Jong

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Liverpool fans are seeing Fabinho thrive this season.

Pundit and former manager Tim Sherwood has told The Analysis Show (NBCSN, 13/11) that he heard Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp chose Fabinho over Frenkie de Jong.

The Reds beat Manchester City 3-1 on Sunday afternoon, taking a nine point lead over last season’s champions as they already put themselves in the clear for the title.

Fabinho scored the opening goal of the game, smashing a long-range strike beyond Claudio Bravo inside the first five minutes at Anfield.

The Brazilian midfielder was impressive throughout, helping keep Kevin De Bruyne quiet as City struggled to break down the Reds.

A signing from Monaco in 2018, Fabinho initially took a while to settle in at Anfield, but is now one of the first names on the teamsheet for Klopp.

Klopp highlighted his importance by leaving him out against Aston Villa to save him picking up a booking and risk missing the City game, and Sherwood claims he picked him over De Jong.

Sherwood claims that De Jong was offered to Liverpool in 2018 when he was impressing with Ajax, just months before agreeing a £65million move to Barcelona.

Klopp felt that Fabinho was better suited to his high-energy style, with De Jong more of a ball-player, and Sherwood feels it was the right choice for Liverpool.

“I know that there was a couple of players that were offered to Jurgen Klopp,” said Sherwood. “Frenkie de Jong, the boy from Ajax, who ended up going to Barcelona, who is a more controlled, cultured player. Or someone like Fabinho who likes to play at that tempo and break up the game a little bit more and gets around the pitch. So he had one choice.”

“It’s an easy job, I think we’ve said it time and time again on this show, to scout for Jurgen Klopp is easy because we know exactly how he wants to play. We know how he wants to play, we know what he likes from his midfield players, industrious midfield players who like to keep it simple, can move forward with the pace of the game, like Fabinho does. He is very important,” he added.