Who is Fabinho? Manchester United likely to sign Monaco ace but what can they expect from versatile Brazilian?
MONACO star Fabinho is set to join Manchester United imminently after reports from Europe emerged it was a done deal.
But just who is Fabinho?
After starting his career as a full-back, he has blossomed in the centre of Monaco’s midfield and was crucial in helping the club clinch the Ligue 1 title.
Fabinho has been converted from an attacking right-back to an athletic central midfielder over the last 18 months.
He even played a key role in helping his side knock Manchester City out of the Champions League.
His performances have seen several of European football's elite clubs take notice.
have taken a closer look at why Jose Mourinho is so keen to land the 23-year-old.
Who is Fabinho and where does he come from?
BORN in central Campinas, just north of Sao Paulo, an 18-year-old Fabinho, after progressing through the youth system at Fluminense, only managed to make the bench once for the club.
He was an unused substitute in a 1-0 win over Corinthians and never made an appearance for Fluminense before departing for Europe.
He signed a six-year deal with Portuguese side Rio Ave in 2012 but again didn’t play a single minute of first-team football for the club as he joined Real Madrid Castilla on loan after just one month in Portugal.
Playing beside Jese Rodriguez, fellow Manchester United transfer target Alvaro Morata and Casemiro, Fabinho made 30 appearances for the B side and impressed sufficiently to be called up to the first-team near the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
In his only appearance for Los Blancos, which came as a 76th minute substitute against Malaga, the then 19-year-old popped up with an assist for Angel Di Maria in a 6-2 win.
Monaco and Claudio Ranieri had seen enough, however, and Fabinho joined the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side on a two-year loan deal from Rio Ave.
He made his debut at right-back in the 2-0 win over Bordeaux and impressed down the flank of the Italian’s 4-2-3-1.
Used solely as a defender, Fabinho provided three assists but was in the shadows of Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and left-back Layvin Kurzawa.
The Brazilian would improve in his second season, featuring 46 times in the league and the Champions League.
He was a key component in Leonardo Jardim’s squad and helped Monaco concede just two goals on the way to a quarter-final clash with Juventus.
It was in the two-leg win over Arsenal that Fabinho demonstrated he could thrive in a defensive midfield role and he continued in the position towards the end of the campaign.
It was no surprise that the Ligue 1 side signed him on a permanent deal from Rio Ave for around £5million in May 2015.
And last summer, with Monaco signing Benjamin Mendy and rumoured Arsenal target Djibril Sidibe at full-back, Fabinho cemented his place in the middle of midfield.
It’s a position in which he has shined. Fabinho scored eight times and added three assists last season.
With the space to flourish, push forward and get on the ball, he has been allowed to show off his attacking instincts.
Yet, as a protector, shielding the defence, he’s given Monaco a real threat with or without the ball.
Fabinho has taken his impressive athleticism, ability to win the ball and then spring attacks and transformed into one of the best central midfielders in Europe.
How much will he cost?
THE reported fee that Monaco are looking for is around the £35m mark.
Just shy of what Manchester City paid for Bernardo Silva, but a little more than any club will be asked to stump up for Benjamin Mendy.
Fees are increasing but it is more than what Chelsea paid for N’Golo Kante and when Granit Xhaka moved to Arsenal.
The 23-year-old now has three years of first-team experience and has reached the latter stages of Champions League knock-out rounds.
Where is his most likely destination this summer?
WHEELS for his departure started turning before Monaco sealed the title, with Fabinho’s father speaking to Telefoot and admitting that talks have already started with three English clubs.
He said: "We have talked to Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, we have even been approached by Barcelona, but it didn't go any further.
"We like Manchester United and the work of [Jose] Mourinho, but we have a little soft spot for City."
United seem to have fought off the competition and with the Portuguese boss looking to play him in the midfield beside Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera, they are an ideal destination for the Brazilian.
Earlier this season, he said: "My objective is to get to a club with the dimension of Manchester United.
"I have no clue if one day I'll be a United player, but I'll keep working so it stops being a rumour and becomes reality."
Reports in Portugal suggest a deal is all but done and the player’s wife sparked intrigue on Instagram when she liked a post from a fan asking them to come to United.
But a deal should soon be done and the Brazilian will be reunited at Old Trafford with the man who gave him his Real Madrid debut.
