After two years of playing for Liverpool, Fabio Carvalho is under Arne Slot’s tutelage and enjoys a clear preseason.
While many of Liverpool’s young prospects found success last season, Fabio Carvalho’s experience was relatively uneventful away from Anfield. The Portugal Under-21 international was loaned to RB Leipzig last summer after a campaign in which his playing time was progressively reduced. He made only one start for the Bundesliga team before returning to Hull City for another Championship stint.
Carvalho first attracted the attention of Anfield’s decision-makers in England’s second division, when he played for an ascending Fulham team that won the Championship in 2022 with 106 goals scored, 11 of which came from the youthful offensive midfielder.
The Reds ran out of time to finalize a deal after a physical was conducted in London on the day of the transfer deadline back in January 2022, but they were always optimistic they would land their man.
So much so that, in his first press conference following the deadline day in February, the then-manager Jurgen Klopp made the uncommon choice to talk candidly about Carvalho. “We are still interested – it would be crazy if we were not,” Klopp stated. “It didn’t work out, the window closed, and it was late. We’ll watch and see.”
In reality, a £5 million agreement was reached, along with £2.7 million in add-ons and a 20% sell-on clause. Borussia Dortmund and Porto were two of the teams rumored to be circling at the time. Liverpool worked hard to seal the terms with Fulham, with FSG president Mike Gordon included in the delegation that worked out the terms with Fulham CEO Alastair Mackintosh and owner Tony Khan. The Reds were also aware that a pre-contract agreement could have been sealed with clubs on the continent.
Arvalho’s first season with the Reds was more a victim of circumstances than anything else. His arrival came at the same time as a team that was having a hard time coming out of the long shadow left by the 63-game marathon that had taken place only a few months earlier. In that final week, the team had gone closer to winning the quadruple than any other team had, but they were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League final and Manchester City had won the Premier League title by a single point.
An early highlight came in August when he scored the game-winning goal in a thrilling 2-1 victory against Newcastle; however, his last Premier League start of the season came in a defeat to Nottingham Forest in October. Prior to his loan to Leipzig, he made just three replacement appearances and one start for the whole of 2023.
During Carvalho’s two loan changes last season, representatives from Hull and Leipzig praised his technical skills. Max Eberl, Leipzig’s general director for sports at the time, stated: “Fabio is an outstanding talent – not least the signing by Liverpool shows that.” Fabio is nimble, quick, cunning, and imaginative. He strives to complete himself or can expertly set the tone for his teammates.”
Following his January transfer, Hull manager Liam Resenoir stated, “There are players who have a different understanding of the game than others in a No. 10 position. Liverpool signed him because of his speed, athleticism, boldness while receiving the ball, and ability to finish plays.”
Although Klopp’s tried-and-true 4-3-3 shape has never really called into question his technical ability, the previous administration was never really able to place him to best utilize his skills.
Carvalho’s close control and ability to unlock doors with passing are best deployed in a place behind the striker, who wasn’t used much in Klopp’s team and may lack the burst of pace required to succeed on the wing. On the German’s watch, the common consensus was that counter-pressing was the greatest No. 10.
Carvalho, however, has the next few weeks to win over the Liverpool team’s new look and trust as head coach Arne Slot. At barely 21 years old, he possesses all the necessary skills to succeed at Anfield, and no decisions regarding any transfers or acquisitions have been made yet as Slot gets ready to have a closer look at the team he inherited then the former Fulham player gets a great chance to present himself.
Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo are all either enjoying their end-of-season vacations or are still playing for their respective countries, so Carvalho has a great opportunity to establish himself in the upcoming weeks. Although a discussion between the coach and the player on the matter may be imminent, a firm position inside the Slot system will be required. Slot has previously stated his expectations from his attacking unit.
“I was hoping if people looked at my team they would not say it is 4-2-3-1 or it is 4-3-3 or whatever formation you want to call it,” he stated in his first press conference earlier this month.
then the former Fulham player has a fantastic opportunity to introduce himself.
Carvalho has a wonderful chance to distinguish himself in the next weeks because Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo are all either enjoying their end-of-season vacations or are still playing for their respective countries. A solid posture inside the Slot system will be necessary, even though a conversation about the situation between the coach and the player may be on the horizon. Slot has previously expressed what he wants to see from his offensive team.
During his first news conference earlier this month, he said, “I was hoping if people looked at my team they would not say it is 4-2-3-1 or it is 4-3-3 or whatever formation you want to call it.”
Therefore, if you had asked me, I would have responded that we played 4-3-3 at Feyenoord rather than 4-2-3-1. However, we did spend a lot of time building with three players at the back; full-backs play distinct responsibilities.
There will probably be more external interest in the creative Carvalho this transfer window given the previously questionable nature of his time with the Reds—namely, the lack of football, the loan periods, and the frustrations.
Notwithstanding a challenging couple of years on Merseyside, Carvalho returns to the AXA Training Centre this summer with the clearest of slates because of the efforts Liverpool made to acquire him, and they have no intention of losing the player too soon.
