Which of these loan stars will return to be a success at Anfield? We give you our view…
Brendan Rodgers and the rest of the Liverpool transfer hierarchy have done a masterful job of utilising the loan market in recent years, with impressive young starlet Jordon Ibe the most obvious validation of that point.
SEE MORE:
Jamie Carragher chooses Liverpool XI to face Man Utd: club legend makes shock omissions
In-form XI England should name vs Lithuania: Arsenal & Liverpool stars link up with Harry Kane
Liverpool transfer news
Ibe broke into the Reds’ first-team at the start of 2015, having impressed with Championship sides Birmingham City and Derby County, and the teenager had become a regular for Rodgers prior to a recent injury.
So, can we expect more success of a similar standard in the coming months and years? Here’s a look at the eleven players Liverpool currently have out on loan, and how we expect them to fare upon their return…
Sebastian Coates (at Sunderland)
The Uruguayan was marked as one of the best young defenders in the world prior to his arrival at Anfield in 2011. However, he’s unfortunately struggled with injuries in recent years, and has been restricted to just four Premier League appearances for the Black Cats so far this term. Unlikely to receive another chance for the Reds.
Tiago Ilori (at Bordeaux)
The 22-year-old has not kicked on as Rodgers might have hoped, since his arrival at the club in 2013. Low-key loan spells at Granada and now Bordeaux have only seen him used as a bit-part players, and considering his age it’s hard to see him being given much more in the way of time. Has still never played competitively for the Reds.
Andre Wisdom (at West Bromwich Albion)
The 21-year-old broke into our first-team back in 2012, and impressed enough to earn himself a loan move to promotion chasing Derby last season. His continued improvement has seen him step and become a regular for Premier League West Brom this term – playing 22 league games. Deserves to stay, and remains one for the future.
Jerome Sinclair (at Wigan Athletic)
Still only 18, Sinclair became Liverpool’s youngest ever player back in 2012 – playing in the League Cup match with West Brom. Since then, he’s continued to impress for the Reds’ youth team, and recently earned himself a move to Wigan, for whom he made his debut this week. It would be nice to see him get a first-team chance next term.
Lloyd Jones (at Accrington Stanley)
Still only 19, and an England youth team international. As a defender, he won’t be expected to develop until slightly later, so he has time on his side, but he needs to be doing more to impress out on loan. Just a handful of appearances for Cheltenham and Accrington are unlikely to have got much in the way of attention thus far.
Joao Carlos Teixeira (at Brighton & Hove Albion)
The 22-year-old will likely be in ‘last chance’ territory when he returns to the Reds for our next pre-season campaign. The Portuguese has quality, but is he quite good enough to play at the top level. He’s done well at Brighton this season, with six league goals thus far, but is not lighting up games the way Ibe did.
Sheyi Ojo (at Wigan Athletic)
Another player that deserves a shot at the Liverpool first-team next season. The 17-year-old (pictured below) is very much in the same mould as a Sterling or an Ibe, and if he continues to impress at Championship level, as he’s done so far for Wigan, then he’ll more than deserving than a few cup games and substitute appearances next term.
Luis Alberto (at Malaga)
The Spaniard was only a bit-part player at Liverpool last season, and this loan move was always likely to be make or break for him. Unfortunately, he’s been restricted to just 20 appearances in all competitions – the majority of them as a substitute – and probably hasn’t done enough to convince Rodgers that he should stay.
Iago Aspas (at Sevilla)
Only scored the one goal for us last season – against Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup – and it was widely expected that Aspas would depart following his loan move to Sevilla. However, he’s been decent this year, scoring ten goals in 19 games, and has at least given Rodgers something to think about. Still probably not quite good enough.
Divock Origi (at Lille)
The Belgian will be a first-team regular next season, albeit as the likely understudy to Daniel Sturridge. He’s already scored eight goals for club and country this term, including an impressive hat-trick for Lille last time out. It will be interesting to see how Rodgers approaches his strikeforce for next year, but Origi will be a part of it.
Rafa Paez (at Eibar)
The 20-year-old is yet to feature for the Liverpool first-team, but did enough to earn a move to Spain. Unfortunately, he’s been unable to play due to administrative error, which caused FIFA to block the move.
