Jurgen Klopp's looming departure from Liverpool is more than a little poignant, but the esteemed German manager could not be leaving the squad in a better position and there is real belief that this squad will continue to go from strength to strength.
Last season's struggles have been wiped away by the sweeping summer changes that revamped a malfunctioning midfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch pumping life, energy and optimism back into an outfit that had spent years competing at the summit of European football.
Sure, refitting the engine room with top-class players is something that will shape Liverpool's success over the coming years, but just as important, if not more so, is the spectacular rise of academy prospects to the first-team this season, a veritable cascade of potential entering the mix and performing to a high standard.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones already had prominent spots in the squad but Bobby Clark, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and more have now arrived, all boasting skill sets fit for purpose at Anfield.
That list is certainly not exhaustive, and while there are some exciting talents in the squad right now, the most prodigious of the lot might currently ply his trade elsewhere.
Indeed, Fabio Carvalho's teenage years might not be behind him but the elegant midfielder is flourishing out on loan and will hope to return to Merseyside come summer, presented with the opportunity to impress.
Why Liverpool signed Fabio Carvalho
Following the same path as Elliott, Carvalho completed a £5m plus add-ons transfer to Liverpool from Fulham back in May 2022 after impressing during his breakthrough with the Cottagers, who plied their trade in the Championship at the time.
The Portugal-born talent started the final three matches of Fulham's 2020/21 campaign in the Premier League, scoring against Southampton as his London club sank dismally into the second tier, but this proved to be a blessing for the teenager as he earned regular opportunities.
As per Sofascore, Carvalho posted ten goals and eight assists across 33 Championship starts in 2021/22, completing 83% of his passes, creating 13 big chances and averaging 1.7 key passes, 1.2 dribbles and 4.6 successful duels per fixture.
It was a stunning, season-long display of potential and Carvalho duly received a transfer to a club of Liverpool's stature, with his dynamic, electric threat in attacking midfield leading former Liverpool man Jason McAteer to remark that he "looks like Coutinho", such was the swagger and style of his skill set.
How Fabio Carvalho performed for Liverpool in 2022/23
Liverpool had failed to secure Carvalho's services back in January 2022 but returned to demonstrate their commitment toward nurturing his abilities and he was rewarded with a place in Klopp's first-team last season.
It was a stunning start and one that denoted his credentials in Liverpool's squad, scoring off the bench during Liverpool's 9-0 trouncing of Bournemouth in the Premier League before unforgettably bagging a last-gasp winner against Newcastle United in the following fixture.
Carvalho would score off the bench during Liverpool's 3-2 defeat against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup months on in December but his thrilling introduction to life on Merseyside petered out as the season went on, earning just 11 Premier League minutes after October.
His succession of strikes so early into his Liverpool career appeared to be a portent of prosperity to come, but Klopp – who had at one stage dubbed him a "special player" – clearly didn't think he was performing at the requisite level and he sank into the periphery for the latter half of the campaign, shipped out on loan to RB Leipzig last summer.
Fabio Carvalho's season in numbers
Carvalho's sojourn in Germany hardly went according to plan, compounding his woes as he slipped away from the prominence that followed when he joined Liverpool and made a prolific start.
Playing 15 times for the Bundesliga outfit, starting just once in the top flight, Carvalho, who is now aged 21 and currently valued at €15m (£13m) by Football Transfers' valuation model, failed to register a single goal or assist during his stay and was unable to mesh the facets together to produce performances fitting for a player of his natural ability.
Matches played
11
Goals
4
Assists
0
Pass completion
83%
Key passes per game
2.2
Ball recoveries per game
3.5
Tackles per game
1.6
Duels won per game
5.0
Now on loan at Hull City after making the move in January, Carvalho is exhibiting his goalscoring prowess and then some, but he's also showcased some impressive movement and creativity – effectively, the multi-functionality needed to succeed at a club such as Liverpool.
It's this very dynamism that could yet allow Carvalho to break into the senior set-up at Liverpool and emulate Coutinho, whose elegance and playmaking genius was breathtaking during the maiden stage of Klopp's tenure, leading to the staggering £142m transfer to Barcelona that kickstarted Liverpool's illustrious recent era.
During the last season Coutinho played in the Premier League for Liverpool, the Brazilian scored seven goals and supplied six assists from only 13 starts, averaging 2.9 key passes, 2.8 dribbles and 5.6 successful duels per fixture.
The core qualities at Carvalho's disposal are enough to build a career of high class and one in emulation of Coutinho, currently ranking among the top 3% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Championship for pass completion, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 1% for progressive passes and tackles per 90, as per FBref.
The Redmen TV's Ste Hoare commented last summer that Carvalho "doesn't fit the system" that Klopp implements. The 56-year-old's imminent withdrawal from his Anfield post will leave Liverpool in mourning, but for Carvalho, bolstered by a loan stint of real promise at Hull, it might be a move that will allow him to take the next step in his personal development.
