Liverpool’s academy pathway has rarely felt more crowded, with even Rio Ngumoha finding it hard to secure consistent game time in what has been a testing campaign for Arne Slot’s side.
England youth defender Liam Balmer has already announced he will depart the club, with Leeds United thought to be his likely next stop. Meanwhile, over the weekend another promising star in Trent Kone-Doherty completed a to Norwegian side Molde FK €750,000.
The Irish winger has shone for Liverpool’s youth teams since joining from Derry City in 2022, piling up goals and assists for the U18s and U21s while also featuring for Ireland’s U21s.
He was highly rated in the academy setup on Merseyside, and now Liverpool U21 coach Rob Page has confirmed that Kone-Doherty rejected a contract to pursue the move to Molde
“We’ve lost a good player. In this job, you’re in it to develop players. He’s decided to move on. We wanted to keep him. There was an offer of a contract,” Page said to RedMen TV.
“So, disappointed to see him go, but that’s life. That’s development football. It gives others an opportunity now to step into his place, and we can focus on them.”
Meanwhile, Molde sporting director Ole Jakob Strandhagen thanked Liverpool for their transparency in smooth negotiations:
“Trent is a technically good and fast winger who has shown his skills and not least potential in the final third during his time at Liverpool. At the same time, he has intensity and pressure in the game that benefits the team both with and without the ball, says Ole Jakob.
“He is well educated at Liverpool, and we are very happy that he has chosen Molde as the next step in his development. The process has been good and we thank Liverpool for a good negotiating climate, despite the fact that they also had a strong desire to keep Trent. We look forward to further developing his offensive qualities at Aker Stadion and in the Eliteserien.”
🗣️ Rob Page on the departure of Trent Kone Doherty: “We’ve lost a good player. In this job, you’re in it to develop players. He’s decided to move on. We wanted to keep him. There was an offer of a contract. So, disappointed to see him go, but that’s life. That’s development… pic.twitter.com/5ugZIWP9Hd
— The Redmen TV (@TheRedmenTV) March 3, 2026
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