Fabio Carvalho has second Liverpool chance under Arne Slot

A change of manager at Liverpool has presented Fabio Carvalho with an opportunity he must grasp.

It would be pushing it to suggest that there was anyone at Liverpool happy to see the back of Jurgen Klopp this summer.

But a fresh start brings with it fresh opportunities, particularly for the players who did not flourish under the German for whatever reason.

And there is perhaps no better example of that than Fabio Carvalho, who returned to the AXA Training Centre last week aiming to make the most of a second chance with the Reds.

Clearly, things have not quite worked out as the 21-year-old might have hoped when he made the move from Fulham in the summer of 2022.

The Reds had, in fact, pushed hard to sign him six months earlier than that, but ran out of time to strike a deal before the January window shut.

However, it was at that point that the two clubs shook hands on an agreement worth up to £7.7m for the coming summer, ensuring that a tribunal could be avoided. 

Following his delayed arrival, Carvalho enjoyed some early highs, including a first Premier League goal against Bournemouth and that unforgettable 98th-minute winner against Newcastle.

Yet it also quickly became apparent that there was no clear role for the youngster in Klopp’s setup; his lack of electric pace limiting opportunities on the wings and diminutive frame standing out in a workmanlike midfield.

That resulted in chances to play proving hard to come by and, while insiders insisted Carvalho took the disappointment well and continued to train hard, it was clear that he needed to play more regularly. 

Quite how that might be achieved was the source of some disagreement, with Liverpool keen to exploit interest from West Ham, Burnley and Brentford to secure a domestic loan.

But Carvalho instead pushed for a move to RB Leipzig, who had tracked him since his Fulham days and could offer not only top-flight experience but also Champions League football.

Unfortunately for the midfielder, his new club followed up his signing on a temporary deal by adding the similarly profiled Xavi Simons, meaning the route to regular football was blocked as quickly as it had opened up. 

That resulted in Carvalho managing just 150 minutes of Bundesliga action before his loan was cancelled by mutual consent in December.

Consequently, Liverpool got their way, with the midfielder heading out to Hull City, whose coach Liam Rosenior had been putting major faith in fellow loanee Tyler Morton in the months prior.

And the reward for this smart placement was 20 Championship appearances, nine goals, and a talented youngster returning to his parent club all the better for the experience of temporarily leaving. 

So, what comes next?

It is understood that there have been no discussions yet over a further loan move, while the player is determined to use the pre-season period to impress Arne Slot.

Still, it remains to be seen if Carvalho can do that, or if the new manager’s tactics are sufficiently different to Klopp’s so as to open up a place for him in the team.

But the chance of staking a claim is certainly higher than it would have been without a change in the dugout, and so the player must do all he can to grasp it.