Liverpool midfielder James McConnell has agreed a new contract with the Anfield side and will head out on loan to the Dutch giant Ajax for the coming season.
It is understood that several clubs in the Championship, including West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town and Hull City, were also interested in the 20-year-old, in addition to the Austrian outfit Sturm Graz. However, the player was attracted to the appeal of playing for a club of Ajax's size and stature.
Ajax is set to play Champions League soccer this season, with Arne Slot's former assistant coach John Heitinga at the helm. McConnell is being brought in as an extra option in the center of the field and will undergo a medical later this week.
McConnell was involved at senior level for Liverpool four times last season but his chances would have been limited again this time around, even if he remains very highly rated.
"I like him a lot. He impressed me," Arne Slot said after he played against PSV in the Champions League earlier this calendar year.
"If I was surprised, it would mean in training sessions he wouldn’t be able to play at this level, and that’s not true because he is competitive with the ones we have.
Andy Robertson, James McConnell, Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate compete for the ball.
McConnell has been a regular in senior training this season.
"So I’m not surprised, but you always wonder how they will react on this stage, at this level. We saw the same with Amara Nallo, but he does not have the same impact in training sessions as McConnell.
"The way James plays is not a surprise, but he definitely deserves credit for his performance today."
McConnell is a similar kind of player to Tyler Morton, who has impressed in the early stages of his time with the French side Lyon, and Stefan Bajcetic, who remains on Liverpool's books but has been sidelined through injury lately.
Capable of playing anywhere in midfield, his range of passing suggests he might end up being a number six in the long term. That is where he is probably best suited under Slot.