First Liverpool January transfer advancing, as two huge suitors emerge for star who needs move

A Liverpool midfielder could soon make his way to the Championship, with second-tier giants Southampton and Leicester City reportedly pushing to sign him.

Liverpool are unlikely to make a big splash in the January transfer window, with manager Jurgen Klopp largely happy with his squad. Although, Klopp could greenlight a couple of signings if they make sense both in terms of what the team needs, and financially.

Reds chiefs will also be monitoring the squad to see which players need to be offloaded, either permanently or through a loan spell.

One player who is pretty much guaranteed to leave Anfield on loan this month is attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho.

The promising 21-year-old recently returned from a disappointing loan spell with RB Leipzig in Germany. He was expected to make a big impact on the German top flight but failed to force his way into the starting eleven. Carvalho ended up making 15 appearances but could not register a goal or assist.

On Sunday, Liverpool confirmed that he has returned to Merseyside, as they had become unhappy with his struggles in the Bundesliga. But rather than Carvalho being given another chance to impress at Liverpool, he is poised to head out on loan again.

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The Portugal U21 international is likely to head to the Championship next. According to Sky Sports, Leicester ‘want to sign’ him and are on the cusp of discussing such a move with Liverpool.

The Foxes, who have an eight-point lead at the top of the Championship, believe signing Carvalho would give them an even better chance at winning the title come the end of the season. He might not have been able to tear it up for Leipzig, but the starlet remains a very exciting attacker.

Southampton, Leicester both in for Liverpool ace

But Leicester will face competition from another major Championship team for the deal, as Fabrizio Romano has revealed Southampton are also in the mix.

“As reported a few weeks ago, Liverpool were not happy with the amount of playing time Carvalho had at Leipzig. Although the Bundesliga side were quite keen to keep him, he was barely playing, and so his return to Anfield was officially announced yesterday,” Romano said in an interview with CaughtOffside.

“So, what now? The plan is for Carvalho to have a new loan move for the second half of the season. Carvalho will leave Liverpool and there are multiple Premier League and Championship clubs – including Southampton – keen on signing him on loan.

“I also think that at this stage in his career a loan move is the best solution for the boy. He’s a big talent, it’s not been easy for him for the last year or so but I’m sure with the right loan move and regular minutes he can bounce back.”

Should Carvalho join either Leicester or Southampton, then it would see him return to the Championship, where he shone with Fulham and ultimately earned his transfer to Liverpool.

In Carvalho’s last season at Fulham – the 2021-22 campaign – he managed 10 goals and eight assists in 36 Championship outings.

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