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It seemed fitting that Jurgen Klopp’s final season in charge of Liverpool should be defined by the contributions of so many young players.
The German arrived at Anfield nine years ago with a reputation for showing faith in youth, and has built on bloodbaths such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Neco Williams during his time there.
As such, it was only right that he signed more of the same, underscoring the strength of the foundation he will leave behind using several kids in an injury-plagued campaign.
The biggest strides of all have undoubtedly been made by Jarell Quansah, who performed so well after his appearance that he narrowly missed out on England’s squad for this summer’s European Championships.
Conor Bradley also returned from his Ligue 1 loan to make a huge impact, ensuring Alexander-Arnold’s long absence was barely felt.
But while that pair are now firmly set for further involvement in the first team next term, there are other youngsters who have made similarly big contributions whose futures are harder to predict.
Take Bobby Clarke, for example, who made an impressive 12 appearances in all competitions as a reserve in midfield.
While the 19-year-old would undoubtedly be similar to Arne Slot this time around, it’s arguable that his long-term development would be better served on loan rather than waiting out an injury crisis.
The club and its up-and-coming young players must make decisions with their individual abilities and careers at the fore.
McConnell is looking for 5 clubs
And the same could be true of fellow midfielder James McConnell, the player who arguably single-handedly turned last season’s League Cup final in Liverpool’s favour.
It should not be forgotten that the Reds held on in the final moments of normal time at Wembley before McConnell entered the game for the crest and played a key role in setting up Virgil van Dijk’s winner.
With this kind of performance on his CV, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Newcastle native is already attracting loan interest from Hull City, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County, Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City.
But it remains to be seen whether the club will move away from their previous plan to send the teenager out on loan following Klopp’s departure.
Without clarification from Slott or athletic director Richard Hughes on such matters, the only certainty is that the preseason will be a defining period not only for Clark and McConnell, but also for Jayden Danns, Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas.
It is certainly in favor of those players that the new manager, like the old one, has shown a desire to develop the talent before moving to Liverpool.
But they also represent the first test of whether Sloto’s principles can withstand the pressure of moving to one of the biggest clubs in world football, where one bad result is considered an unmitigated disaster.
For now, all we can know is that Slott’s first mistake would be to squander the legacy left to him by Klopp, embodied by this group of talented youngsters.
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