Former Liverpool star Fabinho has clarified he’s not pushing his ex-teammates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to join him in Saudi Arabia.
Fabinho, a Champions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool, made the move to Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023, where he now shares the roster with stars like Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante.
In 2023, Al-Ittihad expressed interest in Salah, but Liverpool turned down their advances. While Moussa Diaby came over from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window—potentially as a more budget-friendly option—speculation about Liverpool’s top talents moving to Saudi Arabia has yet to die down.
Salah, Van Dijk, and teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold are set to be out of contract by the end of the 2024-25 season.
As for their plans, Fabinho says it’s no longer his concern. “I haven’t talked to them lately, and honestly, I haven’t seen any news about them coming to the Saudi League or leaving Liverpool,” he told *FourFourTwo*. “I know that players like Mo, Virgil, and Trent are nearing the end of their contracts, and I think Liverpool is eager to renew them, but it’s not my problem anymore!”
Since leaving, the 31-year-old Brazilian has kept up with his former club, now under manager Arne Slot, and is pleased to see them once again contending for the title. “It’s not surprising to me,” Fabinho said. “Liverpool has one of the best squads in the Premier League and Europe, so it makes sense they’re doing well. They have what it takes to compete with Manchester City.”
He acknowledged City’s continued dominance but praised Slot’s leadership. “Unfortunately, City is still the team to beat, but Arne Slot is doing an excellent job. I really hope Liverpool can keep up this momentum through the season and bring home some big trophies.”
Both Salah and Van Dijk scored on Sunday in Liverpool’s draw with title contenders Arsenal. As Liverpool prepares to face Brighton in the Carabao Cup midweek, the pair may be back in action after starting from the bench in the 5-1 win over West Ham in the previous round.
Slot is cautious, however, given recent injuries and the busy schedule. “I don’t think we can do exactly what we did against West Ham because we’ve had some injuries and might not have enough players available to make all the same substitutions,” Slot said before the cup clash. “We played Arsenal on Sunday, and Monday was mostly recovery, so we’ll assess everyone today and decide on the starting lineup.”
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