Liverpool are reportedly battling Premier League rivals Manchester United for the signing of Sheffield Wednesday youngster Yisa Alao, according to a new claim.
The Reds have been famed for signing top young talent down the years, ensuring they focus on the long-term future, rather than just the present.
Granted, Arne Slot hasn’t promoted youth as much as Jurgen Klopp did, though, arguably producing some harsh quotes on right-back Calvin Ramsay on Friday:
“I think it’s great for Calvin where he is at the moment. Half a year ago he came back to this club, to the U21s, and of course everyone who is playing for the U21s is hoping for a moment, for a chance. But it’s a big, big, big chance that he’s having now to come to the first team.
“So when someone is really unlucky with the injuries that we’re having there is always a player that benefits from that, and Calvin is one of them. He’s with us, but I still think I have better options to play.
“But the moment I run out of options he has shown, in the one game he played against Palace and the moments he trained with us, that he is good enough to be in and around our players. Then sometimes you have to wait for a chance to show this to the rest of the world. But in this moment of time I have, in my opinion, still better options than him.”
Now, a report from Football Insider claims that Liverpool in talks with Alao over a move to Anfield, with rivals United providing competition.
The Reds are “hoping they can convince the club to cash in on the 17-year-old left-back before the close of the transfer window”, seeing him as a great prospect.
Alao would be one for the future for Liverpool
Alao clearly wouldn’t arrive as a key man for Liverpool, but the 17-year-old could be considered a long-term Andy Robertson replacement in the squad, with the Scot approaching his 32nd birthday.
The teenage left-back has impressed sporadically for Wednesday this season, making four appearances in all competitions, with Owls manager Henrik Pedersen saying of him:
“As soon as he came on, they tried to bring extra people to his sid. But he grew through the battle and wow. One of the important skills you need to have as a young player is to adapt; to adapt to the level, to new players and to everything. It was really, really good. He is a great young player. Wow.”
Beating United to the signing of any player is always a positive for Liverpool and the hope is that Alao sees them as the more enticing option moving forward.