Former Liverpool midfielder Bobby Clark has been left out of Red Bull Salzburg's squad for the upcoming Club World Cup.
Clark's departure from Liverpool last summer came as something of a surprise, especially after a promising breakthrough season under Jurgen Klopp. Former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders, who took over as manager at RB Salzburg, identified Clark as a priority signing and brought him in for a fee of $13 million.
However, the transfer has not gone according to plan. Lijnders’ tenure in Austria was short-lived, ending just months into the job following a poor run of form. A disastrous Champions League campaign, which yielded only one win in eight group-stage games, sealed his fate.
Since then, Clark has struggled to find his footing under new head coach Thomas Letsch. The 20-year-old has seen his game time dramatically reduced, featuring in just six of Salzburg’s 19 matches since Letsch's arrival—and only three of those absences were due to injury.
Once viewed as a rising star, Clark now faces a period of uncertainty, with his role at the club increasingly unclear.
Clark made his frustration clear after being overlooked for game time at Salzburg, recently sharing a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of himself training alone, accompanied only by a shrugging emoji — an apparent nod to his current situation.
That post came just weeks before confirmation that he has been left out of Salzburg’s squad for the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States.
The omission is particularly surprising given that Clark was featured prominently in the club’s promotional material for the tournament.
Bobby Clark
Bobby Clark has been left out of Salzburg's squad for the upcoming Club World Cup (Image: 2024 Sebastian Frej/MB Media)
Now, his future at Salzburg looks increasingly uncertain. A departure appears likely, although whether it will be a permanent move remains to be seen. Salzburg is expected to try to recoup much of the $13 million they spent to bring him in from Liverpool just last summer.
A number of clubs have previously been linked with the young midfielder, including Swansea City, Derby County, Hull City, Rangers, Sheffield United, Norwich, Leeds United, Coventry City, and Celtic.
Liverpool, meanwhile, maintain a 17.5% sell-on clause as part of the deal that saw Clark join Salzburg, as well as first refusal if the player becomes available for transfer.
The group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup runs from June 14 to 26, followed by the round of 16 from June 28 to July 1. The quarter-finals will be held on July 4 and 5, with the semi-finals scheduled for July 8 and 9.
The tournament concludes with the final on July 13 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Salzburg have been drawn into Group H, where they’ll face tough competition from Pachuca, Al-Hilal, and Real Madrid.