Liverpool clear the decks for 15-year-old wonderkid's arrival

Liverpool fans were surprised on Friday by the news that Trent Kone-Doherty had left the club.

The 19-year-old winger had been tipped for a first-team breakthrough and had already played twice for Arne Slot’s senior side.

The Irish under-21 international played in the FA Cup last season when the Reds were downed by Plymouth and also featured in the EFL Cup defeat by Crystal Palace earlier this term.

It had been reported that Kone-Doherty was in the process of tying up a new contract at Anfield - with his previous deal expiring in summer 2026.

But everyone was blindsided when it was announced that the forward had been sold to Molde in Norway for just €750k.

So what prompted this big turnaround - aside from Kone-Doherty’s contract?

Joshua Abe is coming

Well Rio Ngumoha for one thing.

It’s been widely reported that the 17-year-old had leapfrogged Kone-Doherty in the winger pecking order for the Merseyside - meaning he was regarded as surplus to requirements.

And there is another reason too as Joshua Abe surges through the age groups at the AXA Training Centre. 15-year-old Abe - born in Warrington - has been on the club’s books since the age of four.

And his talents can scarcely be contained in age-group football any longer having already made the step up to the under-18s and U19s in the UEFA Nations League.

Abe is scoring for fun at U18 level - netting a hat-trick in his last outing at Leeds. Currently injured after playing for England U16 on international duty earlier this week left-footer Abe has already stepped up to train with Arne Slot’s first team.

Liverpool hopes are high over Joshua Abe

It’s clear Liverpool are rolling out the red carpet for Abe - who is not even eligible to sign a professional deal until he turns 17 in 2027.

In the meantime the club are hoping he will accept a scholar’s contract but they will have to beat off interest from Real Madrid and a host of British clubs to retain him.

Paul Joyce in the Times is reporting that Liverpool were content to let Kone-Doherty go owing to the presence of Ngumoha ahead of him in the queue as well as the “high hopes” they had for Josh Abe.

“He was out of contract in the summer and has seen Rio Ngumoha move ahead of him in the pecking order,” the report reads.

“Liverpool also have high hopes for another winger in Josh Abe, 15, who has already trained with the first team.”

So Liverpool have cleared the decks of competition for Abe in the form of the Kone-Doherty deal - although in truth he is more comfortable on the other side.

In fact the precocious teenager could be an eventual replacement for Mohamed Salah - who looks set to leave the club this summer.

Abe - an explosive dribbler - does most of his best work down the right flank and it’s clear excitement is building around Anfield over his talents.

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