Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is relishing the prospect of playing with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and has opened up on Jurgen Klopp’s summer rebuild.
A vitally important summer of rebuilding has already begun at Anfield after Liverpool missed out on a place in this season’s Champions League following a disappointing Premier League campaign. The Reds finished fifth, four points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United.
First through the door was Mac Allister, who joined for an fee of around £35m from Brighton & Hove Albion last month. The midfielder had been identified as a key target before flourishing in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar.
The 24-year-old was then joined at Anfield by Szoboszlai at the start of this month, after the Hungarian finalised his switch from RB Leipzig less than 48 hours after Liverpool triggered a release clause in his contract. The attacking midfielder can perform in a variety of positions, including No.8, No.10 and on both flanks.
READ MORE: Thiago Alcantara holds talks with 'next club' as Liverpool 'close in' on £50m signing
READ MORE: Liverpool left chairman furious with £5m transfer that didn't impress Lineker
Fabinho was part of the first group of players to begin their preparations for the new season at the AXA Training Centre on Saturday, and even though Mac Allister and Szoboszlai have yet to link up with their new team-mates, the Brazilian is excited about playing alongside them.
"We lost, I think, three midfield players that were really important for us in the last maybe five, six years," he told Liverpoolfc.com. "It’s good to bring some good players in that position because we will need [them].
"In the way we play, the intensity we play, we always need not just three or four but maybe six players in this position [in the squad].
"So yes, it’s good to have these two players with us now. We played against them already, so we know how good they are. It’s good to have them in the team."
Liverpool have also lost five members of last season's squad after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and Arthur Melo were all waived off.
"Yes, football is like this," Fabinho replied when asked about the process of 'building something new' this season.
"Sometimes we will lose some very good friends. That’s the case with Bobby; he’s gone, so I wish him and his family all the best.
"We have to focus on the players that we have now. At the moment, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai have arrived. I didn’t see them yet, they have a couple more days of holidays.
"We just hope that they will be ready to be with us. We will help them in the adaptation and hope they will be ready and get the ideas of the team as quick as possible."
