Liverpool have omitted midfielder Fabinho from the squad heading to their training camp in Germany following the receipt of an official bid for the player.
According to reports from the PA news agency, Al-Ittihad, one of the Saudi Arabian clubs owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund, has made a £40 million offer for the Brazilian international.
Receipt of a “serious, official” offer prompted discussions within the club which resulted in a decision, taken in consultation with Fabinho, to withdraw the player from the squad which flew out on Saturday.
Captain Jordan Henderson, who has been linked to a reported £700,000-a-week offer from Al-Ettifaq, managed by former teammate Steven Gerrard, has accompanied the squad to the training camp.
This is because no bid has been received for him so far.
Liverpool is undergoing a midfield overhaul this summer, with the experienced James Milner departing for Brighton and the contracts of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita expiring.
In their place, the club has signed Argentina World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, aged 24, and 22-year-old Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined fee of £95 million.
The offer for Fabinho, who will turn 30 in October, is seen as another opportunity to rejuvenate the midfield.
The club have been looking for a long-term successor to the Brazil defensive midfielder as although the 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic impressed in a short spell before injury last season, he needs time to grow into the role having made just 19 senior appearances.
Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, at 19, was also under consideration but the pending immediate departure of Fabinho is likely to prompt a change in targets with the need to recruit a ready-made replacement.
A number of names have been linked this summer but Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, whom the Seagulls value at £100million-plus, is not an option.
Henderson’s uncertain future means the need to bring in experience is now a priority for Liverpool.
Their new recruits were likely to have meant reduced playing time for the 33-year-old, who has lifted every elite trophy during his captaincy of the club and – while he remains an integral part of the dressing room – Liverpool are not averse to selling.
However, they would look for a figure closer to £20million-plus for a player who has two years remaining on his contract.