Fabinho’s proposed transfer from Liverpool to Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad is in jeopardy.
The 29-year-old midfielder was targeted in £40million ($52m) package — and all parties remain committed to getting it done if possible.
Negotiations and conversations are continuing, with Al Ittihad’s desire to sign him undiminished.
But there has been a delay to the process and, things stand, Fabinho is set to resume pre-season preparations with Liverpool on Wednesday.
Al Ittihad’s bid to recruit the Brazil international saw him left out of manager Jurgen Klopp’s squad for a summer training camp in Germany, from which they returned to the UK on Monday.
Fabinho is himself now back in Liverpool and will rejoin his team-mates at the AXA Training Centre, unless a breakthrough can be made in advance.
The player — under contract until 2026 — is said to have behaved impeccably throughout and the strong links his representative Jorge Mendes has to Liverpool and Saudi make it conceivable that the switch still happens despite this stall.
It had been rumoured that the deal could be scuppered by an apparent rule in Saudi Arabia banning the breed of dogs Fabinho owns. However, any doubt over the move has nothing to do with his two French bulldogs.
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Liverpool are set to lose captain Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq and have been exploring a number of potential midfield options.
Henderson has agreed a lucrative three-year contract with Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq worth close to £700,000 ($917,000) per week and has undergone a medical ahead of the move, with Liverpool set to collect £12m for the 33-year-old England international.
The Merseyside club, meanwhile, have been interested in Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure, as well as Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips.
Liverpool’s midfield is already undergoing a considerable refresh this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister signed from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai arriving from RB Leipzig.
James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left at the end of their contracts in June while Fabio Carvalho has joined RB Leipzig on a season-long loan.
Fabinho was once again a key player for Jurgen Klopp last season making 49 appearances in all competitions.
Al Ittihad, meanwhile, have already signed former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante and former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, as well as Jota, who arrived from Celtic earlier this month.
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(Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
