Despite Jürgen Klopp’s admission about transfers, Liverpool possesses “exceptional” talent that has yet to be unlocked.

Liverpool must make a choice about Fábio Carvalho’s future, but it is not as easy as it seems. Jürgen Klopp has many good reasons to keep him.

When Fábio Carvalho came to Anfield as Fulham’s outstanding player in the Championship last season, it was hardly the year he would have been dreaming of.

In retrospect, a one-year loan with his old team might have been the best option. Carvalho has not played in many games for Liverpool, but under Marco Silva, he would have seen plenty of action for a squad that, up until Aleksandar Mitrovi’s lengthy suspension, was cruising in the Premier League and finished in the top half.

Carvalho, who is attracting interest from other teams and could leave this summer in search of more playing time, was mentioned by Jürgen Klopp during his final press conference of the season. Given that it has only been a year since his much-publicized move from Craven Cottage, it is not shocking that he is weighing his options.

Carvalho simply hasn’t played as much as he would have liked, but there are a few things worth pointing out.

To begin with, Liverpool should simply permit a loan period. Despite not playing much this season, Carvalho still has a lot of skill. There is a good reason why the Reds were so eager to sign him, and there are many other players who have had to adjust over time.

Any concept of permanently selling him would be a folly, not least because a year-long loan would increase his worth; only a short exit would make financial sense. It would be foolish to cash in while his stock is down.

However, there is a case to be made for Carvalho to continue working for another year first. If his place in the lineup does not change throughout the first half of the following season, he might even elect to leave on a loan in January.

“Fábio, for the situation in which he is now, in training on an absolutely super level and not being involved, how he deals with it, I have to say, that’s kind of a role model,” Klopp said last month.

He may not be content with the circumstances, but he never gives up. It’s incredible. Although the character he displays here is remarkable, I don’t believe it was his strongest skill before he came to this place because he was and is a super-super talent.

However, those possibilities might still materialize. He was undoubtedly acquired with replacement squad possibilities like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keta in mind.

His skill set is ideal for the more aggressive number eight positions, and as Curtis Jones has demonstrated over the past few weeks, when the squad is positioned to play to your strengths, things can change very fast.

Next year, Liverpool will also participate in the Europa League. Carvalho had opportunities during the current Champions League group stage, and he would undoubtedly get more of a look-in against inferior competition.

The Reds will also hope that they do not receive early-round domestic cup draws against Manchester City or Brighton. Carvalho participated in the game for 45 minutes against the first opponent but was not selected for the second opponent.

If he had more good fortune, he might end up being similar to Takumi Minamino, a player who was instrumental in helping his team win the domestic double. Carvalho and Minamino differ in that the former is still young enough that a season like that would be the platform he needs to advance rather than the platform for an exit.

It makes sense that Carvalho could be thinking about his role at Liverpool, but hasty judgment should be avoided. The 20-year-old has plenty of talent and time on his side to pull it off.