Why Liverpool’s sweet last-minute move fell through
The 2022 winter transfer window remains marked by this anecdote. To everyone’s surprise, Liverpool, who welcomed Luis Diaz (25) from FC Porto in January, tried to take the competition in speed to complete the transfer of Fabio Carvalho (19), a real Championship sensation this season in the Fulham jersey (8 goals and 4 assists in 18 appearances).
The English striker of Portuguese origin, at the end of the contract in June 2022, did not extend with the Cottagers, current leaders of the second division, and interested many teams across England and Europe. The Reds then tried to lock this file by paying a transfer this winter and finishing the year on loan from the London side.
The administrative detail that gets stuck
The Scousers even belatedly agreed with their counterparts on the basis of compensation of around €15 million. Everything seemed to be done. Yes but here it is. At the time of formalizing the return on loan to Fulham of the young hope, the actors of the file realized that the deadline had passed. If, in the Premier League, the clubs have a few hours to finalize a recruit (like Everton and Dele Alli, formalized at 1:15 a.m. in the night), this is not the case in the Championship.
Result, if Fabio Carvalho, who had even passed his medical examination yesterday evening, had indeed been sold under the agreement between the various parties this Monday evening, he could not have returned to Fulham, summary Athleticism. That is why the operation did not take place. Simple part postponed for this summer? This is what all the parties involved in this file seem to contain. But in the transfer window, it is always better to be wary…