Of course, this summer transfer window has not been smooth sailing for Liverpool, and what the club has just done could simply be termed a gamble that is going to raise many eyebrows, coming with different opinions. That transfer which seemed to get many people raising their eyebrows was that of Fabio Carvalho to Brentford—a deal that could very well haunt the Reds so much sooner than one may have thought.
Keeping Martin Zubimendi was a Totally Unexpected Decision
Initially, Martin Zubimendi was near to becoming the first signing the new manager, Slot, would make at Liverpool. In a turn of events few had foreseen, Zubimendi decided it best to remain with Real Sociedad and turned down the opportunity to come to Anfield. This leaves Liverpool with the task of starting this season without a new recruit at holding midfield—a huge gamble for a team with the ambitions that it holds.
Liverpool's Busy Sales Department
Though Liverpool has been among the busiest in the transfer market, much of the work has been in terms of selling players rather than buying. Probably the best example is Sepp van den Berg's move to Brentford. It, when valued fully at about $39 million, underlines how the club fights to keep its books in balance.
Another more in the way of strategic transfer, which Carvalho does from Merseyside to West London, for surely beating the champions at Goodison Park. The first was a Merseyside derby, with Liverpool entertaining Brentford in the opening home game of their Premier League campaign. With Van den Berg and Carvalho both in the frame, it would make it a more interesting encounter.
The Importance of Fabio Carvalho's Transfer
There was much excitement about Fabio Carvalho when he made the switch to Anfield from Fulham in 2022. The youngster was labelled as one of the best talents in England then, and some supporters hoped he would form the future of the Anfield attack alongside Harvey Elliott. Both have been pretty far from spectacular with Carvalho and his time with the Reds has already concluded.
Though, that has been the case, for Carvalho end of road, as far as the opportunities that could have come at this stage of his career from Anfield are concerned, is perhaps the biggest surprise. Recruited for a mere $9 million (£7 million/€8 million) by the Scottish Premiership giants back in 2018, Liverpool will have to be paid a whopping $36 million (£27.5 million/€32 million) if a series of performance-based triggers that form a significant chunk of the deal structure. It undoubtedly goes on to explain that an eye-popping return has been extracted off their first-team spending, but it also throws enormous expectations on his young shoulders.
Carvalho at Hull
Last season, on loan at Hull City, Carvalho showcased his undeniable class. He was amongst the goals, with 11 direct goal involvements—nine goals and two assists—within 20 appearances. In addition, he seemed to be in fine form with respect to scoring goals, averaging nearly one goal for every four shots taken. He ranks among the best performing forwards in the Championship for both goals per shot and goals per 90 minutes.
Performances like that hint at the potential of Carvalho and prove he had the capacity to be a great player at the very biggest levels. That Liverpool sold him can be rationalized through finance, but only time will tell if this is another costly error.
The Potential Fallout for Liverpool
However, all eyes will be on Fabio Carvalho as Liverpool hosts Brentford. It could be a real sting in the tail for Liverpool if he can make his impact against his former club, showing what they could be losing by him not being at Anfield. Yes, Liverpool has built significantly in other areas of the squad, but the creative element and potential goal-scorer that Carvalho may be will perhaps be missed, particularly if the young midfield man for Fulham in midweek shines.
Strategic View of Liverpool
Selling Carvalho makes financial sense for Liverpool; however, it is somewhat of a gamble. The plan they hold to of selling players has paid off on the footing of raising money, yet it leaves the team open to scrutiny on the issues of depth and balance. However, since the holding midfield position remained unfulfilled and Carvalho's quality was available, many eyes will turn their way this year with curiosity about Liverpool's decisions.
Conclusion
After all, in the unpredictable world of transfers, it may prove that selling Fabio Carvalho and not getting a new holding midfielder was indeed a pretty bold gamble. The actual fruits of those decisions can now be seen when Liverpool start their new season in the Premier League. Bees fans will take a keen interest in the performance Carvalho turns in against Liverpool and subsequent longer-term success, while Liverpool supporters can only hope the structural choices made over the past 12 months do not come back to haunt them.
The transfer policy of Liverpool is thus a combination of both financial prudence and tactical decisions. The season will play out with these transfers taking shape; Liverpool would hope that their model was correct.
