Al-Ittihad set to submit 'concrete' £40m offer for Fabinho

Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad are preparing a bid worth £40m for Liverpool midfielder Fabinho.

David Ornstein of The Athletic reports the exclusive, claiming the Saudi club are ready to make an official approach for the Brazil international, who is currently evaluating the prospect of reuniting with Nuno Espirito Santo — who he briefly worked with at Portuguese club Rio Ave.

The £40m almost matches what Liverpool paid Monaco for Fabinho five years ago. The 29-year-old defensive midfielder has three years left to run on his current contract at Anfield.

It is reported that Liverpool's main issue with sanctioning any deal would be not having a direct replacement lined up and the club are working on options.

Southampton's Romeo Lavia has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield this summer, with the former Manchester City midfielder expected to cost around £50m. The Reds' engine room has already undergone a substantial change this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai arriving and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita all departing the club on free transfers.

Additionally, Jordan Henderson is currently evaluating a sensational offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard pushing for his signature as the club's new manager. According to reports, the Saudi Arabian club have offered Henderson a contract worth £700,000-per-week to end his 12-year stint at Anfield. Some say the Reds skipper is leaning towards the move.

Henderson and Fabinho's uncertain futures coupled with interest from abroad in Thiago Alcantara means Liverpool's hierarchy has a lot of work to do between now and the end of the transfer window. With the 2023/24 Premier League season set to commence just under a month from now, Jurgen Klopp and Jorg Schmadtke's big challenge is assembling a midfield with enough depth and quality to compete on multiple fronts.

The 2023 summer transfer window was always going to be one of the most pivotal of the Klopp era, but developments over the past week have put Liverpool in a precarious position, as they run the risk of losing three senior midfielders in double quick time. The coming week is set to be crucial and Klopp will have to play his cards right to ensure Liverpool are sufficiently equipped in the centre of the park.

If Fabinho were to swap Merseyside for Saudi Arabia, he'd be joining the likes of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Roberto Firmino, who have all sealed headlines moves to the Pro League this summer.

Additionally, Sadio Mane, is the latest name linked with a move to Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq and a reunion with Henderson could be on the cards.