Joshua Abe new deal plans thrown into disarray after heart-breaking blow

Liverpool have got high hopes for 15-year-old attacker Joshua Abe.

The Warrington-born teenager has been on the club’s books since age of FOUR - and is being fast-tracked through various age groups.

Abe scored a hat-trick against Leeds United in his most recent Premier League under-18 outing - emphasising his credentials as one of the emerging forces in British football.

But Liverpool’s plans to keep Abe around long-term have been dealt a potentially devastating blow.

Last week during an England under-16 game the winger suffered a leg bone injury which - he claims via Instagram - will rule him out for the rest of the season.

“Tough one to take having my season cut short, but everything happens for a reason,” he wrote.

Joshua Abe: Situation Summary

Joshua Abe’s situation has escalated from promising academy talent to strategic priority almost overnight. At 15, born in Warrington, and on Liverpool’s books since the age of four, he’s already outgrowing age‑group football.

He’s stepped up to the U18s, featured in the UEFA Youth League, and is scoring at a rate that forces attention — including a hat‑trick away at Leeds before his recent injury on England U16 duty.

Liverpool have already moved him into first‑team training under Arne Slot, a clear signal of intent.

They’re rolling out the red carpet because they have no choice: Abe cannot sign a professional contract until 2027, so the club’s only leverage is the scholarship offer on the table.

And he hasn’t accepted it yet.

That delay has opened the door to Real Madrid, plus a cluster of Premier League rivals, all circling a left‑footer who does his best work off the right flank and carries the kind of explosive dribbling profile that Liverpool simply don’t produce often.

Internally, some see him as a potential long‑term successor to Mohamed Salah, whose future is moving towards a summer exit. The talent is undeniable. The risk is obvious.

Liverpool are trying to keep hold of a player who suddenly looks too big for the academy and too young for a contract that would secure him.

Analysis

Abe won’t be eligible for a professional deal until he turns 17 in 2027. The club are currently hoping he will take up their offer of a scholarship deal - but there are no guarantees with several other teams monitoring the prodigy.

Abe is involved with Tyler Alexander-Arnold’s PLG agency - and recently visited the Bernabeu with Real Madrid reportedly interested. Also attentive to the situation are Premier League suitors in Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

One of Liverpool’s biggest weapons in their efforts to keep Abe was promotion to first-team training. The player has been involved in sessions with Arne Slot’s seniors - dangling a significant incentive in front of the precocious attacker.

But with Abe injured it now seems certain he’s trained with the first team for the last time - for this season at least. We won’t know what the landscape over Joshua Abe’s future will look like until next summer.

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