Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp gave highly-rated youngster Fabio Carvalho his blessing to head out on loan to RB Leipzig this summer, but his opportunities have been limited
Fabio Carvalho is expected to be given the chance to stake a claim for a first-team role at RB Leipzig after impressing head coach Marco Rose during the international break.
Carvalho, 21, joined Liverpool from Fulham last summer but struggled for regular action during his maiden campaign at Anfield and the exciting winger was given the green light to head out on loan this season and linked up with Leipzig in June. While the move was designed to provide Carvalho with more game time, the former Portugal Under-21 star has played just 18 minutes of football so far this term.
However, it now seems as though Carvalho has been earmarked for a more prominent role once the domestic campaign resumes. This could open the door for his parent club to keep tabs on their young player with a view to him establishing himself at Anfield next year.
According to German outlet BILD, Carvalho is expected to deputise for the injured Dani Olmo in the coming weeks after impressing Rose following one-on-one talks during the international break. Carvalho, ironically, stayed in Germany during the break after he decided to stop representing Portugal’s U21 team back in November.
While talks with Rose look set to pay dividends for Carvalho, he made it clear that he was not in regular contact with Klopp after agreeing to leave his parent club for the season earlier this summer. Carvalho told German media shortly after his switch to Leipzig had been confirmed: “I don’t really speak to him, to be fair. He didn’t really give me any advice. I just had to learn as I go, and I feel that is better for me to mature anyway.”
Despite playing a starring role for Fulham in their promotion campaign back in 2021/22, Carvalho was restricted to just 13 Premier League appearances, including only four starts.
The youngster went on to outline that the fact he had been utilised in a different position by Klopp at Liverpool was the reason behind his underwhelming start to life at Anfield. He added: “I feel like the reason it hasn’t worked at Liverpool is because of the position I have been playing on the left, which is not really my position.
“I was told I’d come in and play as a 10, but we don’t really play with a 10. Whereas here [at Leipzig] we play with two 10s. And it’s more I’m able to get on the inside, I’m able to turn and go forward. So I’d probably say that’s the reason it hasn’t worked out.”
