Liverpool attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho may not have a long-term future at the club after his recent struggles, according to LFC journalist Neil Jones.
The Portugal Under-21 international is poised to go out on loan to Hull City for the second half of the season, having struggled in the first part of the campaign in a loan spell at RB Leipzig, where he barely played.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Jones explained that he now feels it’s increasingly difficult to see Carvalho coming back from Hull and becoming a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Having struggled at Liverpool last season, and with his loan at Leipzig this term not going to plan, this move to Hull certainly looks crucial for Carvalho now if he is to revive his career.
Jones admits he still rates Carvalho highly, but it seems there is some pessimism now about whether or not the 21-year-old can fulfil his true potential.
“For Fabio Carvalho, the move to Hull City, which is set to be finalised this week, represents a clear indication of how things haven’t gone to plan over the past 18 months or so,” Jones said.
“When he joined Liverpool, he did so as the outstanding young player in the Championship, a player tipped for international honours and a big future at Anfield.
“Now, he finds himself back at square one, in many respects. It hasn’t worked out for him on Merseyside, it didn’t go much better for him over in Germany with RB Leipzig, and his stock has undoubtedly fallen.
“With that in mind, then, it is vital that he first and foremost finds a way to get into the Hull side and play some games, and that once he does that, he shows the talent which convinced Liverpool (and many other clubs) that he was worth looking at.
“The talent is there, for sure. Carvalho’s a lovely footballer, tidy and technically accomplished, with a good final pass and the ability to score goals, but he needs to develop in terms of involving himself in all aspects of the game, staying engaged and involved and not drifting to the fringes, which was a criticism during his (rather limited) appearances at Anfield.
“It’s hard to imagine that he has a long-term future at Liverpool, to be perfectly honest, but that doesn’t mean he can’t, or won’t, have a good career. But he needs this spell to go well.”