Greg Cruttwell, the founder and director of Fabio Carvalho's youth club Balham FC, has backed the 19-year-old to succeed at Liverpool and says he suits manager Jurgen Klopp 'down to the bone'.
Carvalho will formally become a Liverpool player on July 1 and joins on a five-year deal that will see the Reds pay Fulham £5m plus add-ons. The Portuguese international had previously been part of the youth set-up at Benfica before his family made the move to England in 2013.
Instead of returning to academy football, Carvalho joined a local London-based side Balham FC, then called Balham Blazers. Just two years later, he started to attract interest from clubs in England and across Europe.
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Fulham was the right fit for the youngster given their reputation at developing young talent and it paid off as he eventually worked his way up to the first team. In the Cottagers' Championship winning campaign, Carvalho made 38 appearances in all competitions, scored 11 goals and registered eight assists.
His progress hadn't gone unnoticed and Liverpool attempted to make their move in the January transfer window with the understanding he would remain at Craven Cottage on loan for the rest of the season. However, the move fell through at the final hurdle and the Reds would need to wait until the summer to get their man.
Now, he's set to be apart of Jurgen Klopp's side next season and is one of three signings this summer. He joins alongside Uruguay international Darwin Nunez and Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay.
Carvalho has been backed to succeed at Anfield by those who shaped his early career in England. He may well go on to replace some of the big stars Liverpool have boasted in recent years.
"The type of player he is, he suits (Jurgen) Klopp down to the bone," Cruttwell said in an interview with BBC Sport. "The great thing about him is he keeps things simple. He passes and moves at pace, he sees things. He could be in that generation that replaces the likes of [Roberto] Firmino and Sadio Mane.
"If he has to be patient, he will be, he will keep working hard. I'm very confident he will succeed."
Carvalho follows Harvey Elliott as young talent they've signed from Fulham. Elliott, also 19, joined Liverpool's academy in 2019 and after a successful loan spell at Blackburn in the 2020/21, the youngster was ready to push for first team football.
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