Fabinho undergoes medical at Al Ittihad as £40m move approaches

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has undergone a medical and agreed a three year contract as his £40m move to Al Ittihad draws closer.

Talks were understood to have stalled earlier this week after a paperwork issue, but the move now appears to be back on track.

The delay to Fabinho's transfer is unconnected to reports that he may be unable to bring his beloved French bulldogs with him to Saudi Arabia amid the country's strict dog rules.

If he does leave the club, it will end a successful five-year spell at Anfield that saw him win five major trophies.

The Brazil international racked up over 200 appearances in the heart of the Reds' midfield.

A move to Al Ittihad would see him joining up with the likes of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, and former Tottenham manager Nuno Espírito Santo.

He was not included on Liverpool's pre-season tour of Singapore as Jurgen Klopp anticipated his likely exit in the coming weeks.

Fabinho would not be the first key midfielder to leave Klopp's side this summer after Jordan Henderson confirmed his £12m move to Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq.

Henderson had said his farewells on Monday as his 12-year association with the Reds came to an end.

The 33-year-old flew out to Saudi Arabia to complete his controversial move, with the midfielder signing a three-year contract. He had undergone a medical in Manchester on Friday ahead of the transfer.

Losing both holding players would leave a considerable hole in the Reds' squad, and Klopp has  admitted that more players will need to arrive before the transfer window closes.

There has been speculation surrounding a swoop for Southampton's 19-year-old starlet Romeo Lavia, but his £50m price tag could deter them considering his relative inexperience.