Liverpool made a high-profile transfer move last month, with Jürgen Klopp opting to sell one of his regular players. Fabinho, who has been part of the Anfield core since the summer of 2018, was permitted to leave and join Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
The Reds were able to raise $50 million (£40 million/€46 million) for his services, which may explain why the proposal was accepted given that he is now 29 and likely past his prime years of performance. Fabinho looked tired and jaded in his final season for Liverpool last season, but he will still be a major loss.
The South American was expected to start the first game of the new Premier League season against Chelsea, but Klopp now appears to be without a single holding midfielder for the time being, with skipper Jordan Henderson also heading to the Middle East. Reds fans appear to agree that selling Fabinho was the right decision, but many are perplexed as to why no successor has been found.
Curtis Jones is ready to start as Klopp’s holding presence in Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Chelsea in less than two weeks, which is a major risk for Liverpool to take given the Scouse midfielder’s attack-mindedness, expressiveness, and preference for drifting into the final third.
Fabinho was the ultimate fire extinguisher in the middle of the pitch when he was at his peak. Klopp dubbed him ‘Dyson’ because of his natural ability to scoop up stray balls in his area, while Pep Lijnders memorably described him as a ‘lighthouse’ who would offer serenity in the midst of a storm on the pitch.
Fabinho is naturally inclined toward the defensive side of the game, and he is always prepared for when things go wrong. “I think I can speak for all the defenders when I say that you made us feel safe,” center-back Joe Gomez stated in an official farewell video shot within the club and released on YouTube. “It was like you had a magnet in your legs,” claimed Kostas Tsimikas, a left-back, in the same film.
Liverpool has been aware of the need to replace Fabinho for some weeks, but little appears to be happening in the transfer market. Aside from a pair of failed offers for Southampton’s Roméo Lavia, who is still a teenager, Klopp appears to be unsure about a successor, but why?
Manu Koné, a footballer from France, may have the answer. Earlier this summer, the 22-year-old sensation was widely tipped for a move to Merseyside, with rumors from Germany indicating that a move was on the cards. Liverpool reportedly contacted Koné’s representation at one point, with the player valued at roughly $44 million (£35 million/€40 million).
The Frenchman’s services appeared to be in high demand until he represented his country at the Under-21 European Championships, which were hosted by Romania and Georgia. During the competition, which England won thanks to Jones and Harvey Elliott, Koné took a major hit and has been out since.
However, the Borussia Monchengladbach talent has returned to training in recent days. He is progressively regaining full fitness after being diagnosed with a six-week setback. Liverpool may initiate negotiations with Koné’s Bundesliga club when he makes his comeback.
Although he differs from Fabinho in many respects, he is more of a destructive type. Based on his performances in Germany over the previous year, he regains the ball a good amount for his teammates, and he can also play when in possession, portraying himself as an unexpected dribbler at times.
If he is Klopp’s prime goal, it would explain why Liverpool appears content to move slowly in the market despite the fact that the Premier League season begins in just a few days. Overall, Koné should be seen as a possible replacement for Fabinho, who has proven difficult to replace.
