Liverpool may have to make a difficult decision over Fabio Carvalho’s future in January after he failed to secure the game time he had hoped for on loan from RB Leipzig.
At first glance, Fabio Carvalho’s move to RB Leipzig seemed like the perfect move for a young player in desperate need of game time. Jurgen Klopp has already informed the 21-year-old ahead of the transfer window that he will not be part of his plans for the 2023/24 season.
While Liverpool would prefer a loan move to another Premier League club, Carvalho has been pressured to move to Germany for obvious reasons.
At first, it was hard to see why a club mired at the bottom of England’s top flight would commit to developing players on loan, given the obvious pressures that come with their position.
Additionally, the Bundesliga has a recent history of nurturing young talent, and Saxony also offers opportunities to play in the Champions League.
There is no doubt why Carvalho moved to Leipzig, but the first four months of his stay have unfortunately fallen well short of expectations.
With 18 appearances in all competitions so far this season, the youngster has played just two games and 234 minutes, including eight substitutes. He started just one of the last four Bundesliga games and one of the four Champions League group stage games.
This is not a return that has been particularly helpful in terms of his development or showing Klopp that he is ready to make an impact at Anfield. Contrary to Leipzig’s commitment to Carvalho, they could not be more keen to pursue his signature this summer.
Just like when the player left Fulham, the German club wanted a permanent deal before being forced to accept just a loan from stubborn Liverpool. But it’s even more surprising that that enthusiasm wasn’t backed up by confidence in Carvalho once the season started.
After a slow start, he insisted things will turn around after the first international break in September, when he will face new competition and the demands of a new manager.
But although Carvalho started as a league and cup winner, he soon returned to a warmer role on the bench.His situation was helped by the surprise of a key ally, sporting director Max Eberl, with whom he was in regular contact in the early months until his Bayern Munich links led to his sacking.
But even if Eberl stays, the club’s plans for Carvalho have been hard to pin down. Because, like PSG’s Harvey Simmons, there is another talented youngster on loan who needs to hit the ground running immediately upon arrival.
The Dutchman has been very similar to his other loanees and has favored a wide, attacking midfield role since the start of the season.
Simmons is now Leipzig’s most consistent source of goals. He had six goals and eight assists in 18 games and only three players played more minutes than him.
