A former Liverpool defender who was released just six months after signing for the club has officially joined Wigan Athletic.
This time of year always brings a bittersweet edge at Kirkby, as Liverpool publish their retained and released lists and a number of academy dreams are put on pause.
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Last month, eight youngsters – Kareem Ahmed, Emmanuel Airoboma, James Balagizi, DJ Bernard, Oakley Cannonier, Josh Davidson, Terence Miles and Jacob Poytress – were let go as the club reshapes its youth ranks.
For every player whose contract is extended, there are others facing uncertain futures.
Lucien Hallal knows that feeling all too well. The defender only signed for Liverpool’s under-12 setup late last year, stepping up from the pre‑academy to pen terms with the Reds.
However, his stay was short-lived, with Liverpool confirming his release roughly six months later as part of a wider academy reshuffle.
Hallal later took to Instagram to thank his coaches for their support and to confirm that he was moving on to a new chapter.
That next chapter has now arrived at Wigan Athletic.
The 13‑year‑old has posted a photo on Instagram of himself signing paperwork at Wigan’s academy, sat beneath the club crest and captioning the update with pen and heart emojis to mark the move.
Hallal describes on Instagram as someone whose “job is to defend” and who prides himself on being “solid”, underlining that he will be lining up at the back for the Latics’ under‑13 side.
While detailed scouting reports are understandably thin for a player so young, Wigan are clearly convinced by his potential, handing the former Liverpool prospect a fresh platform to continue his development and try to prove the Reds wrong.