It has not been the best-case scenario for many of Liverpool loanees spread out across Europe this season.
The loan system is often heralded as the perfect finishing school for Liverpool’s brightest talents. We’ve seen it time and again: a youngster heads out, gets battered by the realities of senior football, and returns to Anfield ready to fight for a spot.
However, as we approach the January window, the updates on several of Liverpool’s away-day stars are far from promising, with three names seemingly stuck in limbo across Europe.
First up is James McConnell, whose switch to Ajax seemed like a masterstroke in the summer. Joining up with former Liverpool coach John Heitinga in the Eredivisie looked like the perfect environment for the midfielder to flourish. However, the managerial merry-go-round has left McConnell out in the cold.
Since Heitinga’s departure, reports from the Netherlands suggest McConnell’s situation has deteriorated rapidly. New interim boss Fred Grim has reportedly not taken to the midfielder, leaving him completely out of the picture. Ajax are now keen to cut the loan short, with McConnell likely packing his bags for a return to Merseyside in January.
Perhaps the saddest situation is that of Harvey Elliott. His deadline-day move to Aston Villa was meant to be the catalyst for a permanent £35 million switch, but it has turned into a standoff over finances.
It is understood that Elliott’s loan deal contains a clause that triggers a mandatory £35m purchase if he plays 10 Premier League games. Currently sitting on five appearances, Elliott has effectively been frozen out by Unai Emery. The Villa boss has been candid, admitting that Elliott is “not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract,” suggesting the club is refusing to play him to avoid triggering the fee.
Finally, Kostas Tsimikas’ Italian job isn’t going to plan either. Sent to AS Roma after Milos Kerkez was signed, the 29-year-old has struggled for consistent minutes in the Italian capital. The Greek international has not started a game since mid-November and has largely been coming off the bench in Serie A.
It is starting to become clear that the Greek Scouser has failed to win over manager Gian Piero Gasperini, and a result Roma are considering cutting the loan deal short.
At least that’s according to Corriere dello Sport (via Tuttomercato Web), who claim that Roma are planning a sqaud overhaul in January with Tsimikas on the chopping block alongside Aston Villa loanee Leon Bailey:
“The construction site is open and there is no shortage of dossiers on the table. Already in January, as reported by today’s edition of the Corriere dello Sport, they could say goodbye to two players who arrived on loan: Kostas Tsimikas and Leon Bailey, who risk being sent back to Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively. Mainly technical evaluations, even before economic ones, linked to performance.”
It would be difficult for Tsimkas to return to Anfield mid-season as there is not just no space for him in the team. He was left out entirely out of Liverpool’s opening matchday sqauds before his switch to Roma.
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