'Leave' - Dad's strong seven-word transfer message to £27m Leeds United summer target ahead of January window
Angus Kinnear confirmed Leeds United were interested in the midfielder over the summer.
Fabio Carvalho has been urged to leave Brentford by his own father following summer transfer interest from Leeds United.
Carvalho only joined Brentford from Liverpool in August, following the agreement of a £27.5million transfer fee, but has endured a frustrating start to life at the Gtech Community Stadium. The attacking midfielder has just two Premier League starts to his name and is often brought off the bench with little opportunity to make an impact.
Brentford drew 0-0 at Everton on Saturday and after going down to 10 men before half-time, were made to hold out for a point on the road. Carvalho started on the bench and was not introduced at Goodison Park, which seemingly irked his dad who appeared to comment on the club’s full-time Instagram post, writing: "Son, you have to leave this club”. The comment has since been deleted.
Carvalho has spoken this season about his father’s influence on deciding to join Brentford, having watched his beloved Benfica face the Bees in a pre-season game, but it remains to be seen whether a loan move could be considered in January. Leeds were linked with a move for the Portuguese midfielder over the summer and interest in the 22-year-old was genuine.
Leeds were keen to sign a technically gifted No.10 all summer and had their eye on several targets including Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer and Emi Buendia of Aston Villa. But after the window closed, CEO Angus Kinnear confirmed the club were looking to sign Carvalho on loan from Liverpool, eventually seeing their efforts fall short.
“Two of the other players, looking at the level we were looking at, [James] McAtee at Man City, there was talk he might be released all the way through the window and then Pep [Guardiola] decided to keep him,” Kinnear told The Square Ball in September. “And then Carvalho, who, again, might have been able to go out on another loan.
“It might have been a Championship loan or a Premier League loan. We thought we were first in the queue if it was going to be in the Premier League and he ended up being sold for £27m to Brentford. To strengthen our team and to make it better, we have to shop at the highest level possible. And there is lots and lots of frustration.”
Leeds have found success in the No.10 role through Brenden Aaronson, who has impressed since returning from his loan spell at Union Berlin. The American has four goals and one assist in 16 games, already his most productive campaign since leaving RB Salzburg for West Yorkshire in 2022.
Elland Road recruitment chiefs will have one eye on the January transfer window and past confirmation of interest in a No.10 will undoubtedly fuel mid-season speculation. It remains to be seen whether Farke will want to bring someone in.