Liverpool fear transfer mistake as star gets 'nowhere near' verdict
Cameron Smith
- 29 Sept 2023 11:15 BST
- 3 min read
Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho has been told his start to life at RB Leipzig has been “nowhere near” the level of Xavi Simons by the German press after a stuttering first few weeks in the Bundesliga.
Carvalho, 21, joined Liverpool from Fulham for €5.9 million last summer, but he struggled to make an impact at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp preferring other options in midfield.
The Reds’ 4-3-3 system didn’t perfectly suit Carvalho’s skillset as a typical No.10 and he mustered just 11 minutes in the final 27 games of the 2022-23 Premier League season.
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A loan move to Leipzig this summer was therefore seen as a chance to bolster his playing time and start delivering on the promise he displayed in the Championship for Fulham.
However, the fellow loan signing of Simons, as well as the presence of Dani Olmo and Timo Werner, has limited Carvalho to just 102 minutes of Bundesliga action for Leipzig so far, while his performance in their 3-2 win over Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday was heavily criticised by German outlet Kicker.
After the match, they reported: “Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho still visibly lacked rhythm, commitment and assertiveness in the attacking midfield.
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“The 21-year-old Portuguese is nowhere near as advanced as Paris loanee Xavi [Simons], who immediately established himself as a fixture.”
Carvalho’s Leipzig struggles
The Portuguese midfielder started Leipzig’s 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, but that was his first Bundesliga start since joining this summer.
He is yet to register his first goal or assist for the club, while he was an unused substitute during Leipzig’s 3-1 win over Young Boys in their opening game of the 2023-24 Champions League group stages.
Liverpool signed four different midfielders this summer, namely Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, meaning Carvalho is set to face even stronger competition when he returns from his loan spell at Leipzig.
