ARNE SLOT CAN UNLEASH THIAGO ALCANTARA REPLACEMENT LIVERPOOL SIGNED THREE YEARS AGO

Liverpool are eyeing a move for Lille defender Leny Yoro in the summer transfer window.

But the club recognise the seriousness of Real Madrid's interest in the 18-year-old, with the Spanish giants currently clear favourites to sign him this summer.

Nevertheless, Liverpool interest in a young talent such as Yoro signals the club's clear plan in building for the future under Arne Slot, and the Dutchman will arrive at Anfield to find a number of talented youngsters already within his ranks.

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Indeed, Jarell Quansah enjoyed a breakout season last year, but who could follow in his footsteps as Liverpool's next breakout star? Our writers have their say:

Ian Doyle: Liverpool have been fortunate in recent seasons that when opportunity has come knocking for their youngsters in the first team, they have usually delivered.

This season, both Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley answered the call, while the previous year it was Stefan Bajcetic. Before then, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Neco Williams and, going further back, Trent Alexander-Arnold have all grasped the chance to not only aid the senior team but also bolster their prospects of a career at the top level.

It says much about the injury problems that afflicted Liverpool this season that a total of nine Academy graduates made a first-team debut this season. However, it's a player who made his first Reds outing approaching two years ago that will surely be the breakthrough star next term.

Indeed, if it wasn't for his own fitness issues Bobby Clark would almost certainly have cemented his place in the senior squad permanently during the recent campaign. Clark missed more than four months at the start of the season along with the closing weeks, while in between he made the matchday squad 23 times.

Highlights were his cameo from the bench in the FA Cup win at Arsenal, a first Premier League start at Nottingham Forest, a first assist in the FA Cup against Southampton and a debut goal in the Europa League romp over Sparta Prague.

Having only turned 19 in February, Clark is still very much in formative stage of his career. Few, though, would be surprised if he is a regular in and around the Liverpool first team next season. He really is that good.

Theo Squires: Were it not for his season being bookended by injury, we'd probably already be talking about Bobby Clark in the same fashion as Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley. Jurgen Klopp already considered him a fully-fledged first team player, even if we have only had a glimpse of his talent for the Liverpool first team so far.

The midfielder had to wait until the FA Cup trip to Arsenal to make his first senior outing of the campaign, and was limited to just 12 appearances last season because of injury. Yet he'd still end up going on to record his first goal, first assist, first Premier League start, European debut, and maiden winner's medal in a breakthrough season to remember. This is just the beginning.

Only 19, it was unfortunate for Clark that injury denied him the opportunity to feature in the Europa League group-stages or early rounds of the League Cup. But when back fit, he certainly made up for lost time and caught the eye against Chelsea at Wembley to help Liverpool lift the League Cup. Next season, he will inevitably take those next steps.

Some might think the Reds need a new midfielder after the departure of Thiago Alcantara, despite the Spaniard being limited to just one substitute appearance during the final 18 months of his Liverpool career. Yet in Clark, the club already boast a ready-made replacement.

Slot can look forward to unleashing the classy teenager, who, like Quansah and Bradley before him, did not look out of place in the Premier League. While a return to the Champions League will limit the game-time offered to a number of Reds fledglings, Clark is ready to make an impact regardless.

Joe Rimmer: Anyone who attended the Carabao Cup final can attest to the quality of young players at Liverpool.

But they have a slightly forgotten (though certainly not within the club) youngster, who will certainly step up next season - though where he does that remains to be seen.

Because Kaide Gordon will not be staying with Liverpool's under-21s next season, that's for certain.

Still just 19, the winger is ready for more regular first team football and if that isn't within Liverpool's senior squad then expect him to go out and impress on loan at another club.

Gordon's talent is considerable, and it shouldn't be forgotten just how highly rated he was when he emerged under Wayne Rooney at a 16-year-old prodigy. Liverpool beat Manchester United to sign him for a fee that could rise to around £3m and it didn't take him long to impress Jurgen Klopp.

Indeed, Gordon was handed four appearances in the 2021/22 season and impressed playing away at the Emirates in the Carabao Cup semi-final at Arsenal. Then injury struck, and he went over 18 months without football due to a number of problems.

He returned to make three senior appearances last season and impressed coaching staff as he got up to speed towards the end of the campaign. More will be expected next season.

2024-06-15T04:04:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd