Liverpool expect to follow the sale of Fabinho this week with that of skipper Jordan Henderson after negotiations progressed in the last 24 hours, sources have told Football Insider.
The Anfield skipper, 33, has agreed a two-year contract with Al Ettifaq worth a staggering £700,000-a-week, while Fabinho has been given the green light by the club to finalise the terms of a £40million move to Al-Ittihad.
Both moves are well advanced and expected to go through in what will accelerate the overhaul of the Liverpool midfield that began with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Fabinho has not travelled with Jurgen Klopp’s squad to their training camp in Germany after the club received a £40m offer for him.
The bid from the Saudi Pro League side was placed on Friday night and the 29-year-old has been given permission to have a medical and complete the formalities of a deal, with talks now centring on the structure of payments.
Football Insider exclusively revealed on Friday afternoon that there had been a breakthrough in Henderson’s talks over a move to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq that is expected to be worth £10m.
Football Insider revealed last Thursday (13 July) that Liverpool would not stand in Henderson’s way of a move if he told them he wanted to leave.
It means five senior midfielders from last season’s squad will be leaving after James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain departed on free transfers.
It is the departure of Henderson that will perhaps resonate most, given his influence at Anfield since signing in a £16million move from boyhood club Sunderland.
He became Liverpool’s captain in 2015 following the departure of club legend Steven Gerrard, who is now manager of Al Ettifaq.
During his time as captain, Henderson led Liverpool to win the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.
