It’s been a good year for Liverpool youngsters. Always keen to promote the best and brightest talent, Jürgen Klopp has relied on the Academy as much as ever before as his ‘2.0’ side has begun to take shape.
The biggest winner of 2023 was surely Curtis Jones. Threatening to break into the first team for years, he has finally stepped up and taken on that responsibility, putting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ‘the Scouser in our team’ chant a little behind the times.
Jones has been met with increased competition after the summer rebuild, but continues to play an important part, rising to the challenge posed by the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai. Likewise, Harvey Elliott has carved out a role for himself as super-sub as he gets to grips with the new-look Liverpool midfield.
But with those youngsters in the engine room, who could be next to join them as regulars in Klopp’s side? There’s no shortage of Liverpool talent to choose from, and our writers have tipped three who could be ready to make the breakthrough in 2024.
Bobby Clark (and Kaide Gordon, Luke Chambers and more!) – Matt Addison
The obvious answer would be Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon is someone I’m really excited to see again (Gordon has not long turned 19, so he’s still very young and full of potential). But I’m going with Bobby Clark.
The kind of silky, skillful midfielder that I love to watch, his balance and poise make him an ideal fit as an attacking number eight. Only injuries stopped us from seeing more of Clark at first-team level this season. He would definitely have made a couple of Europa League appearances if he hadn’t been sidelined. The Liverpool midfield is not an easy place to break into and a loan deal might be useful, but Clark remains one to watch. He signed a new contract recently for a reason, but might benefit from a loan.
Luke Chambers is another who falls into a similar category: very talented, but with the advantage of being a left-footed defender, which Liverpool might be a little short of at the moment. A year ago, I’d have had him ahead of Jarell Quansah in terms of his development, so that tells you the kind of level Chambers can reach.
And here’s some other even younger ones to keep an eye on: center-back Amara Nallo (16, signed from West Ham), midfielder Trey Nyoni (also 16, brought in from Leicester City), and forward Jayden Danns (17, and has been at The Academy since the age of eight). Each of those three should be eyeing up U21s football and training with the senior team.
Jarell Quansah – James Martin
Okay, so this one’s on the cusp of cheating. Arguably, Quansah has made his breakthrough already. But if circumstances have conspired to give him minutes so far, with a relatively slimline stable of center-backs featuring plenty of known injury risks, 2024 can be the year that Quansah proves he is here to stay.
We’ve heard little of Rhys Williams or even Nat Phillips recently, and the 20-year-old will be keen to show he is not the next in that sequence. Unlike that pair — who were heroic in 2021 — Quansah looks a natural fit for how Liverpool likes to play. Whereas Phillips and Williams could rise to the occasion as Klopp battened down the hatches to grind out Champions League qualification, the latest Academy graduate is progressive and front-footed.
Whisper it, but he has shades of Virgil van Dijk. As Klopp comes to contemplate long-term successors for both the Dutchman and Joël Matip, Quansah has a chance to fully force his name into the first-team conversation.
An obvious answer, but don’t forget Stefan Bajčetić – James Findlater
As we reach the second — and most important half — of the season, opportunities for some of the club’s youngsters will be a bit harder to come by. There is one player though who has shown he’s deserving of his place in the senior squad. I am of course talking about Jarell Quansah. It is probably the obvious answer, but then it’s probably also the right answer.
Out of all the youngsters at Jürgen Klopp’s disposal, the 20-year-old certainly seems to be the furthest along in his development. He already looks every inch the senior pro, and doesn’t look out of place in the Premier League. While Quansah should get more opportunities in the side, there will hopefully be chances for another youngster who has perhaps been a little forgotten in recent months.
You probably can’t claim he’s about to enjoy a breakout, considering that came last season, but it would be great to see Stefan Bajčetić back in red soon. He was cruelly robbed by injury last term, but he has already shown all the signs of becoming a superb option in midfield.
