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Less than 48 hours after closing the book on their first Champions League Final appearance in 10 years in disappointing fashion, Liverpool Football Club have moved with shocking speed to announce the signing of Fabinho, closing their first deal of the summer in record time.
Mere hours after reports out of France broke of a deal being in the works and shortly after journalists with ties to Liverpool reported a deal was in fact close to being done and could be announced on Tuesday, Liverpool have officially unveiled the 24-year-old midfield powerhouse.
English reports have indicated that the deal will total €50M, of which €5M is add-ons—or £39.3 million up front rising to approximately £44M. The consensus is that his transfer looks to be one to make up for the departure of Emre Can, who is reportedly in Italy today for a medical ahead of his long-awaited transfer to Juventus.
Fabinho is a top-rated defensive midfielder, one widely regarded as one of the best in the world at his positions, which bodes well for LFC as the 6 has been a position that’s caused the club troubles in recent seasons due to Jordan Henderson’s struggles with injury issues.
Previously, the press in England had most often linked Fabinho with a move to Manchester United. The press in Spain had linked him with a move to Atletico Madrid. And the press in France were linking him with a move to PSG. Nobody was linking him with Liverpool.
And yet somehow, today, mere hours after word of Liverpool’s interest first broke, Fabinho is a Liverpool player. He has undergone a medical at Melwood, signed his Liverpool deal, and will officially join the club on July 1st.