LIVERPOOL CONFIDENTIAL: Fabio Carvalho agrees to join Hull on loan to save his season, scouts are tracking two Sporting Lisbon stars in search of a new centre-back – and academy talent is in high demand for January

Fabio Carvalho has agreed to join Liverpool on loan from Hull City for the remainder of the season after a failed spell at RB Leipzig, with the Tigers having to fend off interest from Premier League clubs and Championship rivals Southampton.

Wolves and Sheffield United were keen on the 21-year-old, but Liverpool decided that, after playing just 360 minutes in Germany, a move to the second tier would be wiser, with Southampton and Leeds also interested.

Hull emerged as leaders thanks to manager Liam Rosenior's willingness to give loanees a chance, as seen with fellow Anfield star Tyler Morton, who has excelled this season.

The Tigers have also revived the career of Manchester City loanee Liam Delap, who scored just four goals in spells at Preston and Stoke before being given the chance to flourish at Rosenior near Hull, where he has already scored seven goals this season.

Carvalho proved himself in the Championship with Fulham before signing for Liverpool but has struggled for regular game time since and failed to impress at RB Leipzig despite featuring in a few Champions League games.

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That's why Jurgen Klopp's men wanted regular minutes to be an absolute priority for his next move. Hull always showed interest, but their case – with the promise of said playing time, plus Rosenior's willingness to play positive football and Morton's success – was compelling.

Liverpool see Hull as a place where Carvalho will get more regular minutes than alternative minutes this season, which has swung the situation in the Tigers' favor. Rosenior wants Carvalho to register in time to play in Friday night's meeting with Norwich.

BLAIR…WHAT PROJECT?

Another young star likely to leave on loan this month is Harvey Blair, with League One Blackpool keen to sign the winger who has missed much of this season due to a knee injury.

League One leaders Portsmouth were also interested in pre-season in the summer before his injury, but that appears to have faded.

Blackpool, led by former Liverpool coach Neil Critchley, have been eyeing Blair for some time.

There are also a number of teams from the continent eyeing Blair, with clubs from Belgium and Denmark keeping an eye on the 20-year-old, and other League One teams such as Leyton Orient and Reading have also shown interest.

ALL EYES ON THE CENTER BACKS

It is highly unlikely that Liverpool will delve into the January transfer window, but the club's recruitment team has spent the past month taking stock of defensive options and already discussing preliminary objectives for a long-term investment in a centre-back.

Joel Matip's injury, an ACL blow suffered in a home game with Fulham that would end his season, led some to think they would feature in the winter market, but the emergence of Jarell Quansah has sparked fears of a defensive crisis taken away.

Joe Gomez has proven his versatility with some great performances at right-back, centre-back and left-back this season, while Owen Beck, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams have all been recalled from loans in Scotland to help with the numbers.

Beck would have been on the bench for Sunday's trip to Arsenal, but the Welsh left-back, great-nephew of Ian Rush, had to serve a suspension picked up while playing for Dundee, with bookings for the Scottish League Cup in July.

Confidential The Reds previously reported that they have been weighing up a number of options in Portugal, including Sporting Lisbon's Goncalo Inacio, but his teammate, Ousmane Diomande, is also wanted after some great performances for Ruben Amorim's side.

He has a release clause of just £70m and is also attracting interest from other big clubs across Europe. Adept in possession and with old-school defensive qualities, the 20-year-old is currently playing for Ivory Coast, hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations, in the upcoming tournament.

Portuguese sources indicate that Benfica's Antonio Silva has also been scouted by Liverpool.

Another name mentioned is Wolfsburg's Maxence Lacroix, who went through the same Sochaux academy as Ibrahima Konate.

KIRKBY CHILDREN

Liverpool Under 21s are back in action this Wednesday in the Premier League International Cup against Athletic Bilbao, before heading to Brighton in Premier League 2 on Sunday. The Under 18s host Stoke on Saturday.

Despite there being no matches other than an Under 18s friendly – a 5-4 defeat to Rangers – it was still a very proud week for the academy, with 10 of the 20 men in the squad for the first team's trip had graduated to Arsenal.

Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark got a huge vote of confidence when they came off the bench with 15 minutes to go and they will gain more experience from that cameo than they would in a full 90 minutes against a lower league opponent.

Bradley excelled with some one-on-one defending against tricky winger Gabriel Martinelli, plus some much-needed headers and clearances at the back post, while Clark made some nice passes in the number 8 role and showed good game management at making a crucial tactical error. .

Northern Ireland defender Bradley, 20, spent last season on loan at Bolton with five goals and five assists and was a highlight during Liverpool's pre-season tour of Germany. Klopp demanded Bradley stay at Anfield this season and be part of the first-team squad.

Despite several clubs asking to take him on loan, Liverpool declined, with the club being big admirers of Bradley. As discussions took place over Trent Alexander-Arnold's long-term future – in terms of his position on the pitch – right-back Bradley was seen as useful.

He has seen the first half of the season ruined by a back injury, but Bradley has proven himself at Arsenal and that will fill him with confidence. More importantly, it will give Klopp confidence that he can call on the youngster when needed.

WOMEN'S WATCH

Liverpool Women's midfielder Miri Taylor is likely to leave the club on loan this month to gain more playing time, with the 23-year-old out of contract at the end of the current season.

Taylor scored the winning goal against Arsenal on the opening day of the Women's Super League season but has struggled for minutes since then.

Matt Beard's team will be back in action in the FA Cup on Sunday with a visit to Bristol City.