21-year-old midfielder AUDITIONING for Liverpool role

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes neglected to add to the Premier League champions' midfield options last summer.

While £450m was spent on new players - including British record deals for Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz - the decision was made to stick with the same midfielders.

Indeed it could be argued that the club were made even weaker in the position owing to various loan and permanent departures.

James McConnell and Harvey Elliott were shipped out on loan while Tyler Morton completed a £10m deal to join Lyon.

While Morton is flying in Ligue 1 it’s fair to say the loans haven’t worked out.

James McConnell returns from Ajax loan

We could see Elliott move back to Anfield during the January transfer window as Aston Villa have got no intention of paying £35m to make the deal permanent.

And McConnell too is winging his way back to base following the club’s decision to cut short his loan to Ajax. The 21-year-old joined the Amsterdam side with John Heitinga - Arne Slot’s Premier League title-winning assistant who was given the top job at Ajax.

But he lasted only 15 games - plunging McConnell’s immediate future into doubt. He hasn’t played in the Eredivisie since October and Liverpool have brought him back.

McConnell with a chance to impress

And now McConnell should have a chance to audition for a role at the club in the second half of the season. Liverpool are short of adequate midfield cover - with Wataru Endo injured and another novice in Trey Nyoni recently appearing from the bench.

No decision on McConnell’s future is expected to be made until later in the January window according to James Pearce - meaning he will have an opportunity to show Arne Slot what he can do over the next few weeks.

Indeed Liverpool may opt to rest several players for the FA Cup third round match against Barnsley in a couple of weeks - giving McConnell a chance to stake a claim.

If he plays in that match then the midfielder won’t be eligible to represent a THIRD club during the 2025/26 season - effectively tying his future for this campaign to the Reds.

And with McConnell having signed a five-year contract before moving to Ajax on loan - it’s clear that the club have big plans for him in the future.

Liverpool’s midfield needs are profound with all five rotating options suffering injuries so far this season - and McConnell could be just the ticket to relieve the burden in the second half of the season without the club having to spend again.

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