Head coach confirms Liverpool return for midfielder who Jurgen Klopp dubbed ‘a joy to watch’
One player who’s been out on loan from Liverpool has reportedly returned to Merseyside, with some final bureaucracy to be undertaken before his temporary deal is officially severed.
Less than five months on from being loaned out to Ajax for what was intended to be the full season, James McConnell is on the verge of coming back to his parent club, having endured a hugely frustrating time in Amsterdam.
Former Reds assistant coach Johnny Heitinga brought the midfielder to the Eredivisie giants, but the youngster hasn’t played since the 42-year-old was sacked in early November and has been hindered by injury (Transfermarkt).
Ajax boss says McConnell is back at Liverpool
Lewis Steele reported in late December that McConnell is likely to be recalled by Liverpool this month, and that now appears to be the case.
Heitinga’s successor Fred Grim has confirmed that the 21-year-old’s official departure from Ajax is imminent, saying (via Liverpool World): “James McConnell has returned to Liverpool. There are just a few administrative formalities left to complete, then it will be fully official.”
What next for McConnell after Liverpool recall?
Fate ensured that the midfielder’s move to Amsterdam wouldn’t work out, unfortunately, and Anfield chiefs must now carefully consider what comes next for him.
His future seemed very bright when, during pre-season ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, Jurgen Klopp hailed him as ‘a joy to watch‘, but more than two years later, he’s made just 13 senior appearances for the Reds, a tally to which he realistically seems unlikely to add any time soon.
Given the intense competition for midfield places at Liverpool, and McConnell’s injury problems of late, it’d be a tall order for him to suddenly be rivalling the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones for a starting berth.
At least LFC have more wriggle room with the 21-year-old than they do with Harvey Elliott, who’s been frozen out at Aston Villa and has already played for the maximum allotment of two clubs this season, thus severely limiting his options for another loan move.
McConnell hasn’t played for the Reds in this campaign, so he would be free to join another outfit on loan until the summer, which’d give him another chance at racking up some much-needed game-time.
His long-term future at Liverpool remains uncertain, but hopefully he can get back playing as soon as possible and put his abortive spell at Ajax behind him, with a view to potentially rediscovering the potential that Klopp saw in him towards the end of his managerial reign at Anfield.
You can watch Slot’s full post-Barnsley press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
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