Saudi sources reveal that Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is off to Al-Ittihad as the deal is done

As per a tweet from Saudi outlet Neews Sports (h/t Liverpool Echo), Liverpool midfielder Fabinho to Saudi Arabia club Al-Ittihad is a done deal now.

Earlier in the day, David Ornstein of the Athletic (subscription required) revealed that the Reds are set to get a £40m offer from Al-Ittihad for the Brazilian international.

The thing to note is that Fabinho’s contract at Anfield still has three years remaining (Transfermarkt). But, it seems as if Liverpool would accept the money and use that to make further reinforcements in the midfield, with Romeo Lavia among the targets.

Here’s what the tweet said (when translated from Arabic):

“Urgent

“deal done

“Fabinho to #الإتحاد Saudi Arabia.”

Fabinho has been an exceptional servant of the Liverpool football club. But, his decline has been palpable for everyone to see. The 29-year-old has struggled for form and consistency since the second half of the 2021/22 season.

Last season was no better and the Brazilian even struggled to do simple things in the right manner on the field. Hence, while it looks like Liverpool are making a mistake by selling him, they are actually doing the right thing instead.

Fabinho’s midfield partner and club captain Jordan Henderson could be off to Saudi with him. The latter has accepted that his time at Anfield has come to an end. He is most likely to join Al-Ettifaq, a club currently managed by the Reds legend Steven Gerrard.

So, in the space of 24 hours, we are witnessing two big movements happening from the Liverpool midfield. Let’s hope that the club and Jurgen Klopp have replacements lined up.

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If both Fabinho and Henderson leave, just signing one midfielder won’t be enough. They would need to sign two, one being slightly more experienced than the other for the balance’s sake.