A goal for Fábio Carvalho in Hull City’s match against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday could also prove to be a turning point in his Liverpool career. But things will be different when he returns to Merseyside.
If the current favorite is appointed after Jürgen Klopp’s upcoming departure, it will be Xabi Alonso’s squad that he returns to in the summer. Carvalho’s goal, which was his second in consecutive games after previously scoring against Liverpool’s upcoming FA Cup opponent Southampton, certainly makes a case as to why he should be involved for the Reds next season.
After an uncertain loan spell at RB Leipzig, Carvalho is beginning to bloom on the cusp of spring. But where would he fit in a potential Alonso side?
In the same 3-4-2-1 formation Bayer Leverkusen deploys, it is almost certain that Carvalho would find himself in a similar role to that of Florian Wirtz. Wirtz, one of the brightest talents in Germany, has been instrumental to Leverkusen’s success this season, with 10 assists and five goals in 23 league appearances.
Despite being younger than Carvalho at 20, it is fair to suggest that the Liverpool midfielder is slightly behind him in development. Similar to Darwin Núñez’s comparison to Erling Haaland though, Carvalho has had less time playing in one of Europe’s top leagues.
Carvalho never really had the chance to get going in the Bundesliga, with his 158 minutes of action spread across nine appearances. Now a key star in Hull City’s promotion push, he is producing the level of form that saw Liverpool sign him from Fulham for around $9m (£7m/€8.2m) in the first place.
Given Mohamed Salah should remain a focal point, it is unlikely that Alonso will flip his forward line, which means the ‘Wirtz role’ will remain on the left side. Carvalho’s natural ability when operating in those spaces makes him a strong fit for a potential Alonso appointment.
