Liverpool pair eager for upcoming season following private discussion about Jurgen Klopp departure.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool exit presents an opportunity for some players (Image: Getty)
Despite a difficult first year at Liverpool and a season spent on loan, Fabio Carvalho is determined to prove himself at Anfield. The Portuguese midfielder, who joined from Fulham last summer for a fee of up to £7.7m, struggled for game time under Jurgen Klopp in the second half of the 2022/23 season.
With only eight starts to his name, Carvalho was loaned out to RB Leipzig last summer before moving to Hull City in January due to limited opportunities in Germany. Now, with nine goals in 19 games for the Tigers, Carvalho is back on form and enjoying his football again.
Rumours about his future beyond this season are swirling, especially with recent reports suggesting interest in him ahead of a summer of change at Anfield as Klopp prepares to step down after nine years at the helm. However, with Feyenoord boss Arne Slot tipped to take over from Klopp, Carvalho is eager to impress the next Liverpool manager in pre-season and secure his future at the club, reports the Liverpool Echo.
“Yeah, that’s the target,” he said. “The way I see it, it’s a fresh start.
Not just for me, but obviously whoever comes in. It’ll be a fresh start for me, and for the likes of Tyler [Morton, fellow Liverpool loanee at Hull City] as well.
We’ve just got to take the chances that come. Really grasp it and take it with both hands.”
In a recent discussion about the club’s future following Klopp’s announcement, Carvalho admitted: “Tyler and I have spoken [about the summer]. Especially after the news came out about Jurgen.
We just spoke about what could potentially change at the club. Ultimately, it’s a fresh start for both of us.
We’ll just go back there with nothing to lose and everything to gain.” The Liverpool prospect continued, revealing his ambitions to make it to the starting XI: “Obviously I want to break into the Liverpool first-team squad, into the starting XI as well.
For now, I’m focused on Hull City and getting promoted. I’m going to see how pre-season turns out and then we’ll make a decision [on my future] after that.”
Prior to the reports about a potential move for Slot, Carvalho acknowledged the speculation around Klopp’s successor but confessed that he wasn’t letting it influence him too much: “I’ve heard a few things but I’m just focused on myself and focused what I’m doing right now,” he said. Expressing faith in the management making the right call regardless of who was brought in, he explained: “Whoever comes in, I’m sure that whoever is appointed, the fans will have their back and I’m sure that the owners and the higher-ups won’t make a decision where it’s going to backfire, I’m sure they will make the right decision.”
Carvalho was taken as much by surprise as anyone by Klopp’s January announcement that he would be leaving Liverpool in the summer. He has still not had the opportunity to discuss the decision with the soon-to-be former Reds manager.
“Same way you did, I think! ” he laughed when asked how he found out about the news.
“Just on the internet. I remember it was right before training.
I was getting ready to go out and then Tyler was like, ‘Fabio, have you seen what’s happened? ‘ I was like, ‘nah’, and he showed me on his phone.
“And then I went on my phone, I had a few messages from people who I know and who are close to me. They all just said the same thing.
I’ve not spoken to him [Klopp] because I know he’s got a lot of stuff to focus on. But I will speak to him eventually.
He had the League Cup final, which we won. He’s got a lot of stuff going on and I’ll just leave him until the end [of the season].
Eventually, I’ll speak to him.”
