Fabinho is already an elite defensive midfielder, who wins more duels than Fernandinho, Nemanja Matic and the man he’s replacing in our squad, Emre Can.
This tweet from Ben Kelly, based on stats by SofaScore, shows how effective the Brazilian is at winning his individual battles.
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Fabinho averages 9.1 duel victories per match, which when you compare it to other players in the same position, is eye-opening.
Fabinho wins 9.1 duels per 90 mins. To put that into context:
Fernandinho: 6
Nemanja Matic: 5.6
Emre Can: 5.6
Jordan Henderson: 3.6Wow wow wow.
— Ben Kelly (@bkelly776) May 28, 2018
Marco Veratti – 7
Adrien Rabiot – 4.6
Zambo Anguissa (Marseille) – 7.4— Ben Kelly (@bkelly776) May 28, 2018
As well as his defensive attributes, Fabinho can dribble through the middle of the park and pass – both short and long.
He’s capable of playing as a no.8, but we reckon no.6 will be his most natural position.
With Fabinho holding, Jurgen Klopp can select Naby Keita on one side and another player on the other – possibly Nabil Fekir – if Liverpool seal a deal for Lyon’s captain as well.
That midfield is potentially world-class and will provide superb support for our established front-three – who in truth lacked proper service in the final month of the campaign.