Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has not traveled with the squad to their training camp in Germany after the club received a £40m offer from Al-Ittihad for the Brazilian.
The bid from the Saudi Pro League side was placed on Friday night and the 29-year-old has been given permission to have a medical and go through the formalities of a deal.
Fabinho joined Liverpool from Monaco for £43.7m in 2018 and has made 219 appearances for the Reds where he has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
But the Brazil international now looks set to end his five-year spell at Anfield with a move to Saudi champions Al-Ittihad, one of four Saudi Arabian clubs owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund.
Receipt of Al-Ittihad’s £40m offer prompted discussions within the club which resulted in a decision, taken in consultation with Fabinho, to withdraw the player from the squad which flew out to Germany on Saturday.
Al Ettifaq target Henderson part of pre-season squad
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A look at Jordan Henderson’s best bits for Liverpool as he is linked with a move to Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq
liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is, however, part of the club’s tour squad following heavy interest from Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq.
There has yet to be any official approach from the Saudi side for the England midfielder, who will not be sold at a cut-price fee.
Al-Ettifaq are waiting for Henderson to give them the green light to make a formal offer to Liverpool as the midfielder weighs up his future.
The Saudi Pro League side, newly managed by former Liverpool captain Gerrard, are so determined to land the England international that they have proposed more than tripling his £200,000-a-week salary. A two-year contract has been mooted, which includes the option of a third year.
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Sky Sports News’ Melissa Reddy reports that Steven Gerrard could be a lure for Jordan Henderson, amid reported interest from Al Ettifaq for the Liverpool midfielder
Al-Ettifaq are ready to bid whatever transfer fee is necessary to secure Henderson, who has two years left to run on his current deal.
No contact – loosely or formally – has occurred between the clubs which signals there has been no decision from Liverpool’s captain yet.
It is understood Henderson will first seek clarity from Jurgen Klopp over how much he will contribute in the upcoming season.
Lavia, Phillips potential Fabinho replacements | Caicedo not a target
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Here’s a look at why some of the Premier League’s elite are targeting a move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia
Liverpool had been assessing candidates to be a long-term successor to Fabinho, with Romeo Lavia high on their agenda.
The Brazilian’s impending sale might shift a change in profile to more experienced options, but Brighton midfielder Moses Caicedo is not one of them.
Manchester City’s Calvin Phillips is among the players Liverpool are looking at along with Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch other Sofian Amrabat of Fiorentina.
Liverpool’s midfield is undergoing a revamp this summer with the experienced James Milner joining Brighton and the contracts of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita expiring.
They have been replaced by Argentina World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, aged 24, and 22-year-old Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined £95m and the offer for Fabinho – who turns 30 in October – is viewed as another opportunity to refresh .
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Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold admits he is excited about new signing Dominik Szoboszlai
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