Leicester City And Preston North End Handed Transfer Blows As Liverpool Reach Midfielder Decision
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Liverpool are set to hand James McConnell a place in their first-team plans this season, effectively ending Leicester City and Preston North End‘s chances of recruiting the midfielder on loan.
The Foxes and Lilywhites were set to battle it out in a race to sign the 21-year-old for a season-long stint, with the latter seeking new midfield replacements in the wake of Ben Whiteman’s acrimonious exit to join Wrexham.
Reds Decision Ends Rumour Mill
Signs had pointed to Paul Heckingbottom’s side closing in on a deal with Liverpool to sign McConnell, which would have been his second senior spell away from Anfield after a fruitless stint at Eredivisie giants Ajax last season.
However, in an update from the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, Andoni Iraola has now opted to pull the plug on sending the defensive-minded midfielder to Deepdale, instead offering him the chance to join the first team this season alongside fellow youth prospect Trey Nyoni.
The news comes as Liverpool have agreed to sell homegrown midfielder Curtis Jones to Inter Milan, with The Athletic’s James Pearce confirming a medical is now scheduled in Italy for a reported €35 million (£30 million) deal.
McConnell has played 13 senior games for the Reds in the past three years, primarily as a rotational option in cup competitions, having only made three total appearances in the Premier League during Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the club.
Other midfield options have been considered by Leicester this window, with Crystal Palace’s Justin Devenny fleetingly linked with a move to the East Midlands, while Preston had previously weighed up a loan move for the Foxes’ Oliver Skipp.
Liverpool Should Rue Past Decision
With Curtis Jones now on his way out and it being expected that Liverpool will now promote their youth talents in Trey Nyoni and James McConnell, their previous choices under Arne Slot should be reviewed.
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While Nyoni has shone in pre-season and in his previous competitive performances, McConnell is perhaps more of a risk, and while the pair can fill in as a defensive midfielder for Andoni Iraola, there was a much more ideal option lurking in their ranks.
Tyler Morton showed heaps of potential during his time at Anfield, and once he finally broke out during his loan spells at Blackburn Rovers and later Hull City, he should have been the next academy star to make themselves a star.
However, Slot instead opted to knock him to the sidelines, ultimately sanctioning a move to Olympique Lyonnais, where he has become arguably one of the most influential players for the French club.
At a time when Liverpool are in something of a crisis in terms of depth in midfield, if they had held on to Morton, they could have been in a much stronger position than they find themselves in.
Where Might Foxes Look Next?
A new midfielder may not be the top priority for Leicester City in the final weeks of the window amid interest in both Wout Faes and Harry Souttar and an ACL injury to the latter’s centre-back partner in Ben Nelson.
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However, once they redeem their defensive woes, perhaps adding a final body to their midfield should be key, especially if Louis Page does move on following Manchester United’s pursuit of the teenager.
They have now missed out on two midfield targets this window: Archie Collins, who moved to Huddersfield Town, and now James McConnell, who is staying put at Liverpool.
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Oliver Skipp’s future also remains in the air, so it could even be two new faces that have to come in for Russell Martin, and given his past links at Southampton, the ideal candidate is waiting to find a new club.
Will Smallbone may be an ambitious swoop considering Leicester’s downfall in fortunes in recent seasons, but having been a star under Martin at St. Mary’s, a reunion could be the ideal solution to add further bodies and put City right in the promotion conversation.