Liverpool Football Club has officially announced that Brazilian midfielder Fabinho has completed a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal.
The 29-year-old’s departure comes after a successful five-year spell at Anfield, during which he made 219 appearances, scored 11 goals, and played a crucial role in the club’s major triumphs.
Fabinho joined Liverpool in July 2018 from Monaco for a fee of around £39 million and quickly established himself as one of the Premier League’s top defensive midfielders under manager Jurgen Klopp. During his time with the Reds, he was part of the squad that won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.
His move to Al-Ittihad is part of the Saudi club’s effort to bolster their squad with top players. They have already made high-profile signings, including Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Jota, under the management of former Wolves and Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Fabinho’s departure adds to Liverpool’s midfield changes this summer, as they have also lost Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Leighton Clarkson. Klopp has already brought in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai but is still in the market for a new midfielder, with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia reportedly being their top target.
Liverpool’s pre-season continues with a match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, and this game will be the first since the club appointed Virgil van Dijk as their new permanent captain. Van Dijk succeeded Henderson, who also recently moved to Saudi Arabia, joining Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq.
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