- Fabinho unveiled at Al-Ittihad
- Dog rumours mocked in announcement
- Agrees three-year contract
WHAT HAPPENED? The Brazilian becomes the second midfielder from Liverpool to join a club in Saudi Arabia in a matter of days, following Jordan Henderson's switch to Al-Ettifaq.
The club announced the deal on Monday evening with a video captioned 'Tigers are allowed to pass', before official club pictures of the player followed, along with the caption: "Welcome Fabinho in the stronghold of the tigers". The 29-year-old has signed a deal until 2026.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The announcement video made reference to a rumoured hitch in the deal, which involved Fabinho's concern about his dogs. It was initially claimed the player took issue to rules in Saudi Arabia banning 'dangerous and aggressive dogs' as he owns two bulldogs, although such stories turned out to be unfounded.
The 29-year-old joins other star names such as Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante in moving to Al-Ittihad this summer, amid the Saudi Pro League's lavish spending spree to attract top names from European football.
WHAT THEY SAID: Fabinho posted an emotional farewell to Liverpool on social media. He wrote: "Today I leave my home. It's been five years wearing this jersey and always with the greatest honor and happiness possible. Since day one at Liverpool, I've been embraced by everyone. What I saw inside this club, the relationship between the people there, made me feel like family. In these five years, I grew as a player, as a man, I made dreams come true… With that jersey, I won every title a player can dream of. Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup.
"I say this with a heart full of joy: I love this club. Thank you, Reds, for everything we've experienced together. You will never walk alone."
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GOAL ARWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL? Jurgen Klopp may well need to sign a defensive midfielder to offset the losses of Fabinho and Henderson this summer. The Reds have been heavily linked with Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia.
