Fabinho's £40m move to Saudi Arabia could collapse because of his dogs

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho's move to Saudi Arabia has been thrown into jeopardy due to the breed of his dogs.

Fabinho, 29, looked set to become the next Premier League player to make the popular switch to the Saudi Pro League alongside teammate Jordan Henderson, who has reportedly agreed a deal with Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp appears to be preparing for their exits, after he signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined £95 million as the Reds boss eyes a major overhaul to his midfield.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, James Milner and Arthur Melo have all left Anfield this summer, with further outgoings on the cards.

However, doubt has been cast over Fabinho's prospective £40 million move to Al Ittihad, with the Brazilian reportedly seeking clarity on whether he will be allowed to take his two dogs to the Middle East.

Reports from Saudi Arabia have detailed the country's alleged laws surrounding 'dangerous and aggressive dogs', which are banned.

In a document leaked on Twitter labelled ‘Bringing pets to Saudi Arabia’, it states that dogs are only allowed to enter if they are going to be used for hunting, serve as a guard dog or if they are ‘seeing-eye dogs’ (for the blind).

Fabinho has two French bulldogs, though it remains to be seen whether they will be permitted to travel to Saudi Arabia. Rottweilers and Pit Bulls are apparently banned – and there are concerns that ‘Frenchies’ are grouped with the latter.

Twitter

Fabinho may hope that a quick glance at his furry friends, pictured here in Christmas jumpers, will convince Saudi authorities that their sole purpose is to fend off intruders and to hunt his next meal.

But until he gets confirmation that his dogs can join him abroad, the former Monaco midfielder will reportedly hold off on signing a contract.

Al Ittihad, now managed by ex-Tottenham manger Nuno Espirito Santos, have been incredibly busy in the summer transfer window, having already signed N'Golo Kante from Chelsea and current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema from Real Madrid.

Topics: Liverpool, Fabinho, Football, Transfers, Saudi Pro League

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno