Liverpool 'still interested in Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat as Fabinho replacement'

Al-Ittihad are in talks with the Reds over a £40m deal for the Brazilian, who has not made the trip to Germany for a pre-season training camp while negotiations rumble on.

Fabinho is understood to have agreed personal terms with Nuno Espirito Santo's side, who are now discussing the key details of the deal with their Merseyside counterparts.

While there is still work to be done before Fabinho can be released from his Liverpool contract, the Reds will not stand in his way of a departure if the price is right.

Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo have both been linked with switches to Anfield as a replacement for Fabinho, but the duo could both prove too expensive.

Lavia could command in excess of £50m to depart St Mary's, while Brighton are supposedly prepared to hold out for a nine-figure sum to sell Caicedo, who is also on the radar of Chelsea.

Having already added Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister to their ranks for a combined £95m, the Reds may instead seek out a cut-price alternative to Lavia and Caicedo, especially with talk of a new centre-back also arriving at Anfield.

Liverpool manager Klopp is believed to have chaired a meeting to discuss bringing Fiorentina's Amrabat to Anfield after the World Cup, where the midfielder shone during Morocco's historic run to the last four.

According to The Athletic, Liverpool are still interested in signing Amrabat this summer, as the 26-year-old could potentially be allowed to make his exit from La Viola in the current window.

As things stand, Amrabat could leave the Europa Conference League finalists as a free agent next summer, although Fiorentina can trigger a 12-month option to tie the ex-Feyenoord man down until 2025.

A lucrative transfer fee may twist Fiorentina's arm, though, and Liverpool could face competition from Manchester United and Barcelona to land Amrabat in the current window.

La Viola paid €19.5m (£16.7m) to prise Amrabat away from Hellas Verona in January 2020, and the midfielder has since registered one goal and one assist in 107 games for the Italian side.

Amrabat started 12 Europa Conference League games last term as Fiorentina lost to West Ham United in the final, while he played every minute during Morocco's run to the World Cup semi-finals before their third-placed playoff loss to Croatia.

In addition to Amrabat, Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch and Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips are thought to be under consideration at Liverpool, who have cut several midfielders from their ranks this term.

Leighton Clarkson, Arthur, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner have all moved onto pastures new, while Jordan Henderson is said to have agreed personal terms with Al-Ettifaq, but Liverpool are yet to receive an official bid from Steven Gerrard's side and will not let their captain leave for free.