With reports emerging that Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho are edging closer to moves to Saudi Arabia, is the club making a mistake in letting the experienced duo depart?
Experienced duo Henderson and Fabinho are in talks with Saudi sides Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq over possible moves to the Saudi Pro League. If both deals go through, it will accelerate Liverpool’s already arduous task of overhauling their midfield.
Fabinho’s transfer has been welcome news to some Liverpool fans, who feel that at the age of 29 the Brazilian has enjoyed the prime of his career and that his performances last season suggest his best days are behind him.
On the other hand, Henderson’s proposed move has sparked a backlash. Having been a leading supprter of the LGBTQI+ community for many years, a transfer to Saudi Arabia for big money would see the 33-year-old move to a country where it is illegal to be gay.
The ethical dilemmas surrounding both deals have caused enough of a stir, but another emerging talking point from this news is that Liverpool are letting far too much experience depart during such a crucial transitional period for the club.
It was clear for everyone to see that Liverpool needed to address their ageing midfield coming into the summer window. Jurgen Klopp has certainly been backed so far, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai arriving for a combined £95 million.
However, five midfielders have already departed the club so far this summer, (James Milner, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Naby Keita, Fabio Carvalho, Arthur) with another two looking increasingly likely to follow suit.
It’s an argument of quantity over quality, but what this drastic offload of midfielders has done is force Liverpool back into the market when a few weeks ago it looked like their business was close to being all but done.
Liverpool are set to generate £60m from the sales of Henderson and Fabinho and it looks as if that money will be invested into long-standing targets such as Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, Nice’s Khéphren Thuram and/or Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch.
All players offer an abundance of talent and potential, but it’s not what Liverpool needs if the experience of Henderson and Fabinho is removed.
Replacing experience with potential is always a risky game and so Liverpool may need to break the bank again to sign someone who can come straight into the midfield.
Names such as Moises Caicedo, Joao Palhinha and Sofyan Amrabat have emerged in recent days but there are also lingering concerns around them.
Moises Caicedo looks set to sign for Chelsea and even then, Brighton’s astronomical asking price of £100 million is something FSG would not be willing to entertain. Palhinha and Amrabat – like the youngsters Liverpool have been linked to – are still arguably not the finished product that the club require.
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are now in a situation whereby they need to add not just bodies to their midfield, but renowned quality too.
They don’t want a repeat of last season where injuries and loss of form to certain players derailed their season. Liverpool’s business this window is far from over.
