It is fair to say that Fabio Carvalho’s first season at Liverpool has not gone exactly according to plan. There was much excitement when it emerged, around this time last year, that the Reds had won the race to sign the then teenage starlet from Fulham.
Carvalho had been pursued by Manchester City, as well as the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, so it was seen as something of a coup when the 19-year-old, after lengthy negotiations, chose Anfield.
“What a talent he is, hey?” beamed Jurgen Klopp after the signing was confirmed last July. Carvalho, he said, was “a player who can bring a stadium to its feet” and who “puts personality into his performances.”
Ten months on, however, we have seen only flashes from the 20-year-old. There have been only four Premier League starts and only eight in all competitions, and since being substituted at half-time in the Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City in December, Carvalho has had only 69 minutes of first-team exposure.
That, inevitably, has led to speculation he could leave the club in the summer, either on loan or on a permanent basis. Liverpool, for their part, insist no decision has been made at this stage, and while it must be acknowledged that this has been a difficult start to life on Merseyside, the Reds would be wise to stick by their man, when it comes to Carvalho.