Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been left out of the Reds' pre-season squad travelling to Germany, according to reliable journalist Melissa Reddy.
Is Fabinho leaving Liverpool?
The 29-year-old has been a fantastic player for the Reds over the years, arriving from Monaco back in 2018 and becoming arguably the club's best defensive midfielder of the Premier League era.
Fabinho has won everything possible for Liverpool in his first years at Anfield, including the Champions League in 2019 and the league 12 months later, and teammate Thiago has described him as "world-class", further outlining what a fantastic player he has been.
The Brazilian was way below his best last season, however, proving to be part of a midfield that struggled hugely, and he has been strongly linked with a surprise move to Saudi Arabia in recent days.
A £40m bid has been received from Al Ittihad, and it is now a case of all parties agreeing a deal, bringing an end to Fabinho's time as a Liverpool player in the process.
What's the latest on Fabinho's Liverpool future?
Taking to Twitter on Saturday morning, Sky Sports reporter Reddy provided a key update regarding Fabinho's future, confirming that he isn't travelling to Germany, therefore paving the way for his exit:
"Liverpool have received a £40 million offer from Al Ittihad for Fabinho, who will not be travelling with the club for their training camp in Germany as he ties up his future. Jordan Henderson is part of the travelling squad."
It is staggering the manner in which Fabinho's Liverpool career has nosedived in no time at all, having been such an indispensable figure this time last year, with few players in Europe better in his position. His decline in 2022/23 has been truly drastic, however, and while it would still possibly be better for the Reds to retain his services as a squad player, moving him on for £40m could ultimately prove to be excellent business.
Should Fabinho be sold, as looks to be almost certain now, it is absolutely essential that a tailor-made replacement comes in – someone who is ready to hit the ground running in the No 6 role immediately, which 19-year-old Southampton target Romeo Lavia arguably wouldn't be able to promise.
Someone like Borussia Monchengladbach's Manu Kone could be ideal, for example, with the 22-year-old linked with a move to Liverpool numerous times this summer, having made 30 Bundesliga starts last season and being three years older than Lavia, therefore proving to be significantly more experienced.
Fabinho has to be remembered as a true modern great for the Reds, even if his time on Merseyside has ended up petering out, with his intelligence and quality in front of the defence playing a massive role in their success down the years, having lacked a genuinely elite No 6 for so long.
With Jordan Henderson potentially joining him out of the exit door and off to Saudi Arabia, and with Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving this summer as well, this really does represent an enormous summer of change in Liverpool's midfield.