Jurgen Klopp admits Fabio Carvalho has impressed him more than Mohamed Salah

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Fabio Carvalho has impressed him more than Mohamed Salah or any other Reds player since joining the club from Fulham last summer. Carvalho was snapped up by the Merseyside giants after tearing up the Championship with Fulham over the course of the previous campaign, with his impressive showings playing a major role in helping the Cottagers to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Carvalho has only made 21 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions throughout this season but has clearly left an impression on Klopp during his short spell at Anfield thus far. The 55-year-old enthused over Carvalho in Friday’s press conference by admitting that he has been in awe of the Portuguese forward’s mentality and work rate in recent months, although he explained that a loan move could be the best course of action in terms of his development when the new campaign gets underway.

“I think there is a possibility that maybe Fabio will go on loan or whatever, we will see,” said Klopp. “The thing is, this was not Fabio’s best year of his career, clearly, in a very young career, but it might have been his most important.

“No player has impressed me more than Fabio, that’s the truth, because this kind of very talented boy came here with big dreams and big expectations. It was OK in the beginning but didn’t work out in the end. His work ethic will give him a fantastic career. He trained while getting nothing.

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“For players, there’s only one present you have each week: you line me up, if not that then take me in the squad. That’s my only chance to satisfy a player. If I don’t do that, it’s about how the player reacts, and his reactions in a row, I never saw it before. Unbelievable. I’m not sure if he goes on loan or whatever, if we keep him, we will see.”

Carvalho played 16 times for Liverpool before the World Cup break over the winter but has registered just five appearances over the last five months, prompting speculation over his long-term future with the Reds in spite of his obvious ability and potential to emerge as a key player for the club over the coming seasons.

The 20-year-old recently explained that he remains in regular contact with Klopp despite his lack of minutes at Liverpool, with the German boss having offered no shortage of constructive criticism on the training ground in recent months.

“He’s always talking to me,” Carvalho told Sky Sports. “He’s always telling me what I should be doing and what I’m doing wrong, which is just constructive criticism. That’s how you improve. Him and his staff are always trying to help, always trying to make sure that we get everything we need to be good for game day.”

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