Report: Liverpool at risk of losing Mane-esque prodigy who’s yet to respond to Anfield offer
Liverpool could be at risk of losing a hugely prodigious talent from their academy and are awaiting his response to an offer which has reportedly been made to him.
Followers of the Reds’ underage teams will have become familiar with the exploits of Joshua Abe, who netted a hat-trick for the under-18s in a 6-1 thrashing of their Leeds counterparts last weekend, taking him to six goals in his last four games at that age group (Transfermarkt).
Earlier this month, he became the youngest-ever player to represent LFC at under-19 level when he came on as a substitute in the UEFA Youth League defeat to Zilina in Slovakia, achieving that feat at the age of 15 years, six months and 17 days, and he’s even been invited to train with the first team recently.
However, as detailed by James Pearce in a report for The Athletic, Liverpool could have a battle on their hands to keep the 15-year-old at the club.
Josh Abe with a hat-trick
All the goals from the academy as the young Reds put six past Leeds #LFCU18s pic.twitter.com/BZeN0pkaK0
— The LFC Academy (@LFCAcademyX) February 16, 2026
Why might Liverpool be at risk of losing Abe?
Abe has yet to accept the Reds’ offer of a scholarship, and several Premier League sides are reportedly watching the situation closely in the knowledge that, if no agreement has been reached by 1 June, he would then be free to speak to other clubs.
Scholars at LFC earn a standard monthly sum of approximately £1,200, and first-year professionals are typically limited to a basic yearly salary of £52,000 plus bonuses.
While some prospective suitors are prepared to offer ‘more guaranteed riches’, Merseyside chiefs are hoping that the teenager will ultimately be swayed by the clearer first-team pathway they’ve set out for him.
Hopefully Abe can be convinced by Liverpool first-team pathway
It’s becoming increasingly evident that Abe seems to be a particularly special talent, between his rampant goalscoring form, history-making European exploits, first-team training involvement and the apparent queue of suitors waiting to pounce for an opportunity to lure him away from Merseyside.
Pearce mentioned in his article that Liverpool academy staff have likened him to Sadio Mane, while one of the 15-year-old’s former coaches gushed: “There’s not a club in this country who wouldn’t want Josh Abe.”
Having nabbed Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea’s academy in what’s become an increasingly shrewd coup, the Reds are now at risk of having the tables turned on them if they’re unable to persuade the under-18 starlet to accept the scholarship offer.
The youngster is rightly taking the time to consider his options at such a delicate stage in his life, but from an LFC perspective, we’re obviously hoping that he’ll be sufficiently convinced of a first-team pathway at his current club to stay put and continue his development on Merseyside.
The progress that his fellow teenager Ngumoha has already made at senior level might hopefully resonate with Abe, who has the makings of being an exceptional talent for Liverpool over the next few years, should he remain with the Reds.
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