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Liverpool star Fabinho addresses PSG transfer rumours with bold claim
LIVERPOOL midfielder Fabinho appeared to accuse PSG of planting a story before a crunch Champions League clash that claimed he was set to leave Anfield.
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The Brazilian moved to Anfield from Monaco in a £40million deal last summer but struggled to settle initially.
In a story that broke on the eve of Liverpool’s clash with PSG in the Champions League at the end of November, it was claimed Fabinho would move to the French giants on loan.
It was even said that PSG chiefs would use that match as an opportunity to thrash out a deal.
PSG won the game 2-1 to effectively seal their place in the last 16, while Fabinho was an unused substitute.
And he thinks the timing of the story was suspicious and said it happened once before when the Ligue 1 side wanted to sign him from Monaco.
“I never thought of going elsewhere,” he told L’Equipe
“I know a lot of things were written in the newspapers, but it wasn’t true.
“What’s funny is that this PSG loan story came out just before our Champions League match.
“And I had already experienced a similar story the day before the final of the Coupe de la Ligue between PSG and Monaco (in March last year).
“It’s a strange coincidence, is not it?”
PSG have long been admirers of Fabinho and came close to getting their man at the end of Monaco’s incredible 2016-17 season which saw them win the Ligue 1 title and reach the semi-final of the Champions League.
A number of stars including Kylian Mbappe, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Slva left immediately after that campaign, while Fabinho opted to stay for one more season.
“In fact, if I had to sign at PSG, it’s the year before it could have been done [in 2017],|’ he said.
“They were very interested, I talked a lot with (sporting director) Antero (Henrique) and the club’s leaders, but it didn’t work.
“The year after, I did not wait for them… And then, I thought it was time to leave France.”