RB Leipzig sporting director Rouven Schroder has sent a clear warning to Jurgen Klopp regarding Liverpool playmaker Fabio Carvalho.
The 21-year-old secured a loan move to the German club during the summer transfer window but failed to make a lasting impact in the Bundesliga, with players such as Dani Olmo and Lois Openda regularly starting ahead of him.
His temporary stay at Leipzig was then cut-short by his parent club Liverpool, with the Portuguese playmaker registering just one start across his nine appearances in the top flight of German football.
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Carvalho has since secured another loan move away from Anfield in a bid to continue his development, as he now looks to help Championship side Hull City on their push for promotion to the Premier League.
In the aftermath of the failed loan to Leipzig, Schroder has reflected on Carvalho's time at the club while also revealing the main reason he failed to make the desired impact amongst the squad.
“We consciously chose Fabio [Carvalho] last summer," he said as quoted by RB Live. "He had a great season with Fulham in the English second division, which is very physical.
"We said to ourselves: great talent, good age, has already gained his experience. Still, you only get to know a player as an end product when he’s there. Fabio has a great character.
"But he realized: ‘Okay, there’s a competitor here, I have to do more!’ And we noticed that he didn’t want to face the competition.
"We asked ourselves the question: Do we feel more comfortable with a man or are we clear and straight and say: Listen, if you don't want to go with us, then we'll end the loan. You shouldn't be afraid of a break-off."
The player has since made his debut for The Tigers after completing the loan move on January 11, as he played the full 90-minutes against Norwich City on Friday evening, where his new side would go on to lose 2-1 in the fixture.
Patrick Rowe