‘A fantastic fit’ - Pundit believes Liverpool should sign £55m Fabinho replacement

Former Premier League footballer Robbie Savage believes that Liverpool should look to sign Fulham’s Joao Palhinha to replace the departed Fabinho.

The Reds conducted a lot of summer business, in terms of both signings and departures, and have come out the other side in a very positive place given their start to the season

Acquiring the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo has been seen as good business all round, but some are debating whether they have truly replaced Fabinho, who left for Al-Ittihad in the summer, or at least replicated his influence on the side.

Mac Allister and Curtis Jones have both played there with differing results so far and Endo is very much still adapting to the pace of the English game, but none are near the level that the Brazilian once was in a red shirt.

Savage on Joao Palhinha

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport on Sunday, Savage believes the answer for Liverpool is already in the Premier League in terms of the Fulham midfielder.: “He’s a very good player. He was going to Bayern and the move fell through. Fantastic player.

“Liverpool have transitioned well in those areas, there is more dynamism in there, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister are good acquisitions, recruitment has been good and I think that has gone under the radar really.

“But I think Palhinha would be a fantastic fit for Liverpool.”

Would he be a good signing?

Palhinha dominated the tackling statistics in the league last season, registering 47 more than second-placed Moises Caicedo, who Liverpool bid £111m for in the summer, and Palhinha has gone onto make 28 so far, which is second behind Luton Town’s Marvelous Nakamba.

The Portuguese midfielder was inches away from joining Bayern Munich on deadline day, but that deal crumbled and he was forced to return to Fulham, who do not look the same beast this season after losing star man Aleksandr Mitrovic.

It’s clear that Palhinha deserves to be playing at a higher level but Liverpool are already fairly stacked in midfield. However, after allowing six midfielders to depart last summer, they could still potentially move for him next summer if they are held back by this position this season.

Endo, 30, signed a four-year-contract this summer so, clearly, the club believes in him and it seems unlikely that a move for Palhinha would materialise after their summer business. But whoever does move for him will certainly be getting a top-class defensive midfielder.