Fulham wonderkid Fabio Carvalho has been called up to Portugal's U21 squad as they look to convince the midfielder to switch his international allegiance from England.
Carvalho, 19, was born in Portugal but has represented England at U16, U17 and U18 level after his family moved from Lisbon to London.
The teenager, who has scored eight goals in 29 appearances for Fulham this season, is not able to make his debut for England’s U21 side as he has not yet passed a British citizenship test and does not have a British passport, according to Sky Sports via The Star.
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The country of his birth have now made a move for the midfielder, naming him in their latest U21 squad for their upcoming Euro 2023 qualifiers against Iceland and Greece.
Wolves striker Fabio Silva and Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares have also been called up by Portugal, who finished as runners-up in the 2021 European U21 Championships.
Carvalho burst onto the scene last season and has continued to impress in the current campaign, attracting the interest of Liverpool.
The Premier League club attempted to sign him in the January transfer window with the intention of loaning him back to Fulham for the remainder of the season.
Liverpool were unable to get the deal over the line but may now look to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with Carvalho, whose current deal with Fulham expires at the end of the season.
In terms of international football, Carvalho could still play for England’s senior team even if he makes his debut for Portugal’s U21 side this month.
However, the FA may be worried about losing Carvalho permanently, after seeing Jamal Musiala and Yunus Musah declare for other countries in similar circumstances.
Bayern Munich midfielder Musiala played for England until U21 level before switching his allegiance to the country of his birth, Germany.
Meanwhile, Valencia midfielder Musah declared for the USA in 2020 despite playing for England until U18 level.
Topics: Fulham, England, Portugal, Football, EFL Championship
Rory O'Callaghan