Liverpool would be happy to “ship out” Brazil international Fabinho in order to secure Declan Rice, according to former Premier League defender Alan Hutton. 

The Lowdown: Rice watch

With 215 appearances for West Ham, Rice has been a phenomenal servant to the Irons since bursting onto the scene. At just 23, the England midfielder has asserted himself as the captain of his club, a strong indicator of his importance and leadership at the London Stadium.

With his temperament and ability in mind, you get the impression that Jurgen Klopp would love to have Rice at his disposal.

However, as per a report from Neil Jones relayed by Anfield Watch, it is said that the Reds would need to sell Fabinho in order to facilitate a move for the West Ham skipper, for whom Liverpool are reportedly preparing an £85m offer. 

The Latest: Hutton talks up Fabinho-Rice trade

According to Hutton, it would be a sensible move for Liverpool to sacrifice the Brazil midfielder in order to land his English counterpart from West Ham.

When asked by Football Insider if the potential trade would be worth it for the Reds, the ex-Tottenham defender and now BBC radio pundit replied: “If they can get Declan Rice then yes I think it would be.

Fabinho is a fantastic player and has been a great servant to the club. But if you are looking long-term and you want to get someone like Rice, you might need to open up a gap within the midfield.

I still think it will be difficult, we are talking about a massive amount of money for any of these types of players. I think it would be a great move if they could get him in the building.

It would make the midfield stronger which is something they need to do. I think if they could get Rice in they would be happy to ship Fabinho out.

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The Verdict: Ideally combine the two

In an ideal world, Liverpool would keep Fabinho and sign Rice, especially when you bear in mind the Englishman's gradual progression from centre-back to defensive-midfielder to a more progressive pivot. 

The 23-year-old’s destiny seems to be as a box-to-box central midfielder, with his forceful nature on the pitch and desperation to get on the ball rendering Tomas Soucek as the deeper player in David Moyes’ double-pivot 4-2-3-1 system at Weat Ham. 

With each passing season, Rice has been more progressive, so an ideal scenario would see Fabinho remain as Liverpool's first-choice defensive midfielder and the Irons captain come in as an energetic and progressive box-to-box asset.