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Report: PSG Interested in Loaning Liverpool Midfielder Fabinho Amid Rumours
November 27, 2018
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested in loaning Liverpool midfielder Fabinho and see their upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against the Reds as an opportunity to make progress on the transfer.
L'Equipe (h/t Sport Witness) reported prior to Wednesday's clash at the Parc des Princes that Fabinho—who has made only five starts in five months at Anfield—could be loaned in January.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp recently told Liverpool's official website that summer signing Fabinho, 25, and Naby Keita, 23, were purchased with long-term futures in mind.
According to L'Equipe, Liverpool would be willing to loan their Brazilian with a mandatory purchase agreement for €50 million (£44.3 million) at the end of the season.
Liverpool paid AS Monaco a similar fee to sign the South American in July, but it seems strange the English outfit would be so happy to sell for close to his purchase price this early in his Anfield tenure.
It hasn't been the fast start fans might want from any new signing, but Klopp recently said his midfield signing won't be going anywhere this winter:
"Of course he will not leave. I don't talk about transfers, but if you want to ask, nobody leaves here. That would be completely crazy, he doesn't want to, it's only the crazy world out there that people, if they don't play in the last five games, immediately open kind of a transfer market. We are not involved in that."
Liverpool blogger Scott Groom questioned if the Fabinho to PSG rumours were genuine, suggesting it is an attempt to unsettle Liverpool ahead of their clash with France's main superpower:
It's mentioned Lassana Diarra, 33, could be allowed to leave PSG for Major League Soccer in order to make room for Fabinho, who has played the full 90 minutes in three of his last four Premier League appearances.
French football writer Rich Allen mentioned Financial Fair Play as a potential obstacle for the club, considering PSG have been repeatedly investigated by European football's governing body, UEFA:
Liverpool are blessed to have a selection of talented English right-backs in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Nathaniel Clyne, but Fabinho brings the added benefit of covering that position.
Klopp doesn't appear to be on board with the idea of Liverpool giving up on one of their bigger summer purchases so soon.