Fabinho Talks Monaco Exit Amid Manchester United, Manchester City Rumours

Fabinho has expressed his interest in moving on from Monaco amid links to Manchester United and Manchester City. 

In an exclusive interview with Luiza Sa of Brazilian newspaper Lance! (h/t the Mirror's James Whaling), he said:

"If a move to a new league or a club with a bigger structure and bigger expectations, I would be interested.

"My time with Monaco was good, but I feel my time here is coming to an end.

"I know that that the club's vision is to try to finish second and qualify for the Champions League, without counting on big-name players, but on young players.

"I believe I have gone through this process. I arrived as an unknown, I made my name at the club, won things—but maybe I need a new challenge."

Per Whaling, he's on the radar of both Manchester clubs as well as Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain but was not part of the minor exodus that followed Monaco's title win last season.

Fabinho played a key role in winning the league, per Squawka Football:

Partially as a result of the exits last summer, which included Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy, Monaco have fallen short of the standards they set, and they're in fourth place, 12 points behind PSG.

Fabinho stands out among their best players, though, and he offered a timely reminder of what he can do in the 2-2 draw with Marseille on Sunday, per WhoScored.com:

The goal was the midfielder's fifth of the season in all competitions, and he has also created four as well.

The 24-year-old offers mobility and energy in the centre, which he uses to protect his defenders and disrupt the opposition's play.

Scouted Football's Jake Entwistle believes Arsenal would also be wise to pursue him given what he can bring:

He's not short on skill, as he demonstrated prior to his assist for Rony Lopes in the 3-1 win over Metz on January 21, when he escaped the attention of two defenders inside the area with a clever dribble and a stepover.

The Brazilian is equally convincing at right-back, and that kind of versatility is invaluable to any side, particularly those who compete on multiple fronts.

His dynamism would complement Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba well at Old Trafford, and he would similarly make an excellent long-term replacement for Fernandinho at the Etihad Stadium.