Casemiro has claimed that Jurgen Klopp sold a Liverpool player who had a similar profile to him back in the day.
Over the years, Liverpool’s first-team squad has been riddled with talented players.
There have been times when the Reds were seen as the best team in the world, with some even suggesting that the squad Arne Slot had going into the 2025-26 campaign was one of the best ever.
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And, while each individual player might be extremely talented, the fact that they haven’t been able to click yet has caused Liverpool to massively underperform.
A dejected Arne Slot manager / head coach of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
These transitional phases always affect teams in different ways, but in the past, this hasn’t been a problem for Liverpool due to the form of their team and the quality of their starting XI.
Now, however, Manchester United ace Casemiro has admitted that one of the Reds’ former players has a very similar profile to him.
Casemiro says that the way he plays is very similar to the way Fabinho played for Liverpool
In recent memory, Fabinho is one of the Reds’ best defensive midfielders.
The Brazilian came in and instantly shored up Klopp’s midfield, with the Brazilian being key to their Premier League and Champions League wins.
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His defensive contributions, coupled with his keen eye for a pass, made him one of the world’s best defensive midfielders for a few years.
Fabinho’s downfall unfortunately occurred in double quick time, and although Alexis Mac Allister had to fill in as a number six for a season, the fact that Ryan Gravenberch has now filled the void Fabinho left is ideal.
However, since he could play as a lone defensive midfielder rather than with a partner, this is one of the main reasons why Casemiro compared his playing style to the former Liverpool ace.
“They asked who has a similar profile (to mine), and I think it’s Fabinho. I don’t see another guy who has that profile. For example, Bruno Guimarães will need another guy to play alongside him. Joelinton, André, João Gomes, too,” he said to GE.
“Not that you can’t play like that and win. But a guy you put in front of the defence, who prioritises the team’s balance, getting between the full-backs, providing balance, covering the gaps, stopping the counter-attack, I think that ideal guy today is Fabinho.”
Liverpool could do with Fabinho’s defensive contributions this season
Although Gravenberch is now seen as one of the Premier League’s best number sixes, there was something different about Fabinho when he was in his prime.
The way that the Brazilian adjusted to life in England’s top flight was second to none, and the fact that he could be used as a right-back if needed meant that Liverpool had a few more options to choose from.
One of Slot’s main problems this term has been the defensive work of his starting XI.
Arne Slot pictured during Liverpool's Premier League match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Players such as Mohamed Salah have left others such as Conor Bradley out to dry on more than one occasion, and due to the constant barrage of attacks the Reds face, they’ve ended up falling apart.
There’s still time for things to get back on track, but at the moment, that doesn’t feel all that likely.