The list of players signing up for clubs in Saudi Arabia continues to grow: Fabinho leaves Liverpool and signs for three years with Al-Ittihad, where he joins the French Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté, announced the two clubs on Monday.
After the departures of striker Roberto Firmino, who left Al-Ahli for free, and ex-captain Jordan Henderson who signed for Al-Ettifaq for around 14 million euros, he is the third player for the Reds to give in to the Saudi sirens this summer.
Fabinho, 29, leaves the banks of the Mersey after five seasons (219 matches) during which he notably won a Champions League (2019) and a Premier League (2020) and an English Cup (2022).
He had quickly become a basic man in Jurgen Klopp’s system.
Arrived from Monaco where he had won the title of champion of France in 2017, Fabinho had been sidelined from the pre-season preparation of the club after an initial offer of 40 million pounds (about 47 million euros ).
“Today I leave my house. I wore this jersey for five years, always with the greatest honor and the greatest possible joy,” the Brazilian wrote on his social networks.
“Thanks to Liverpool, I reached my best level and played a World Cup,” he added.
In addition to Fabinho and ex-captain Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool coach also saw midfielders Naby Keïta, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner leave, free at the end of last season, but recorded arrivals Argentinian Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai in this sector of play.
Fabinho is preparing to form a prestigious doublet in midfield with the 2018 French world champion N’Golo Kanté, behind the two attackers who have just arrived at Al-Ittihad, Karim Benzema and the Portuguese Jota.
