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Liverpool loanee Leighton Clarkson in action during Blackburn's game against West Brom in the Championship. Ewood Park, August 2021.

The 13 Liverpool players hoping to catch Klopp’s eye on loan in 2021-22

While Jurgen Klopp will be focusing on his current Liverpool squad in 2021-22, he’ll also be keeping an eye on plenty of youngsters out on loan.

Before suffering that horrible injury against Leeds, Harvey Elliott proved that players can break into the Liverpool first-team after impressing on loan, following his spell at Blackburn in 2020-21.

We’ve taken a look at the 13 players sent out on loan this time around who have the chance to prove they’re worthy of a first-team place at Liverpool next term.

Sepp van den Berg

Liverpool signed Van den Berg from Dutch outfit Zwolle in the summer of 2019 for a fee that could rise to £4.4million, and he has made four cup appearances for the Reds.

He spent the second half of 2020-21 on loan at Championship side Preston North End, predominantly featuring at right wing-back as well as on the right of a back three.

The Netherlands Under-19 international then decided to extend his loan spell at Deepdale by an additional 12 months after speaking with compatriot Virgil van Dijk.

“They [Liverpool] were satisfied then [last summer]. And hopefully, even more after this year,” Van den Berg told NOS in September 2021.

“Actually, the plan was to participate in the preparation with the first team of Liverpool this season, but I thought it was best to be loaned out for another year.

“I quickly noticed what big steps you can take in six months of Championship. So I thought: if I play there for another year, I really have a chance at Liverpool.

“He [Van Dijk] asked me how I thought it went at Preston and told me that he thought it was a good choice because making minutes is so important. Who knows, I may be next to him next season. You should always keep dreaming.”

The defender is one of the first names on Frankie McAvoy’s team-sheet and recently scored his first goals in professional football.

Leighton Clarkson

A Liverpool academy graduate, Clarkson has made three appearances for the first team, including a start in last season’s Champions League fixture at FC Midtjylland.

But he wanted more first-team opportunities and has joined boyhood club Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan deal.

The midfielder will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Harvey Elliott, who enjoyed a really productive loan spell at Ewood Park in 2020-21.

“The more you watch his clips of him playing, the more you think, ‘Wow, what a talent,'” Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph in August. He’s a great passer of the ball, sees short and long passes and fights his weight.

“If he can stamp his personality and authority on our team then that will be great for us.”

The 19-year-old has made two Championship appearances to date and has already showcased his brilliant passing range.

Ben Davies

Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool signed Davies on a long-term deal from Preston North End on the final day of the January transfer window.

Despite their injury crisis, the defender didn’t make a single first-team appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the second half of last season.

He fell further down the pecking order following the arrival of Ibrahima Konate and then joined recently-relegated Sheffield United on loan until the end of the 2021-22 season.

“I was becoming aware that I was the fifth or sixth choice to play in the centre of the defence for Liverpool,” Davies told The Daily Mirror in September 2021.

“When I joined Sheffield United, with the promise of playing games, it felt like I had finally been mentally released.”

The 26-year-old endured a difficult debut against Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield before keeping a clean sheet against Luton in his second appearance.

Ben Woodburn

Woodburn famously burst onto the scene at Liverpool, becoming the club’s youngest ever goalscorer by notching in a League Cup tie against Leeds United back in 2016.

But a series of injury problems and underwhelming loan spells at Sheffield United, Oxford United and Blackpool have hindered his progress in recent years.

Despite being named on the bench for Liverpool’s Premier League opener, the 21-year-old decided to spend 2021-22 on loan at Scottish Premiership side Hearts.

“I was on the bench against Norwich so I was happy about that,” Woodburn said. “Then the gaffer said he wanted me to stay for a few days and see what went on – but a few lads came back from injury a bit quicker than expected.

“After that, they gave me the green light to go. The gaffer just wants to see me progress and hopefully show the people at Liverpool that I can compete with all the players there.

“At the age I’m at now I need to play games week in, week out. With the players Liverpool have got, it will be tough to do that. I just feel I’ve a better chance of doing that here at Hearts.”

He enjoyed an impressive home debut at Tynecastle, winning the Man of the Match award after a 0-0 draw with Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby.

Sheyi Ojo

Liverpool made Ojo the most expensive 14-year-old in the history of football when they paid MK Dons a reported £2million to sign the winger.

He has since played 13 times for the Reds’ first team but is now into his seventh loan spell away from the club, joining Championship side Millwall.

The winger currently has a year remaining on his Liverpool contract and will have to make a real impact at The Den to earn a new deal.

Rhys Williams

Following injuries to Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, Williams earned a surprise promotion to the Liverpool first-team in 2020-21.

The defender managed to keep Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son relatively quiet on his Premier league debut and made a total of 19 appearances in all competitions.

But Klopp now has his three senior centre-backs back from injury and the signing Ibrahima Konate has pushed Williams further down the pecking order.

He signed a new long-term contract at Anfield before joining Championship side Swansea City on a loan deal until the end of the season.

“Rhys Williams settled in brilliantly, he played like he had been here for a long time,” Swansea boss Russell Martin said after the 20-year-old made his debut against Hull City.

READ: What Klopp, Carra and more have said about ‘exceptional’ Rhys Williams

Luis Longstaff

No relation to the Newcastle midfielders, Longstaff was one of many Liverpool players to make their debut against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup.

The 20-year-old is yet to add to that solitary appearance and will spend 2021-22 on loan at Scottish third tier side Queen’s Park.

Anderson Arroyo

Since joining Liverpool from Colombian club Fortaleza CEIF in February 2018, Arroyo hasn’t got anywhere near the first-team squad.

The defender has already had loan spells at Mallorca B, Gent, FK Mlada Boleslav and Salamanca and is now with La Liga 2 side Mirandes.

Jakub Ojrzynski

Signed from Polish side Legia Warsaw in 2019, Ojrzynski has regularly featured for Liverpool’s Under-18s and their Under-23s.

The goalkeeper is now getting his first taste of first-team football on loan at Welsh side Caernarfon Town, but he has conceded eight goals in his first five appearances.

READ: Ranking Liverpool’s 22 Premier League goalkeepers from worst to best

Jake Cain

Cain joined Liverpool’s academy as a nine-year-old and made his first-team debut in the FA Cup fourth-round replay win over Shrewsbury Town in 2020.

He is now undertaking his first spell away from Anfield, having signed a season-long loan deal with League Two club Newport County.

Vitezslav Jaros

Jaros has featured as a substitute in both the FA Cup and Champions League but is yet to make his senior debut for Liverpool.

The goalkeeper joined St Patrick’s Athletic in February 2021 and the loan deal has since been extended until the end of the League of Ireland season.

He has kept eight clean sheets in 26 Premier Division appearances at the time of writing, helping the team into second place.

“I’ve loved it so far,” Jaros said in May. “It’s been a great experience, the team has been doing well and it’s a great introduction to men’s football.

“There’s been some good feedback with Liverpool and people have been happy with me playing and doing well.

“There’s been positive things but also some negative things you can improve on, but everyone is happy that I’m playing every week.”

Paul Glatzel

Glatzel was reportedly on the brink of a first-team breakthrough in 2019, only to then suffer an ACL injury in a pre-season friendly.

After two injury-disrupted years, the striker is hoping that a loan spell with League Two side Tranmere Rovers will get his career back on track.

Adam Lewis

Lewis got his first taste of regular first-team football in 2020-21, making a combined 29 appearances during loan spells at Amiens and Plymouth Argyle.

The left-back immediately headed back out on loan ahead of 2021-22, signing for Scottish Premiership side Livingston until the end of the season.

“I loved the idea from the start. I spoke to the manager and he gave me a good impression,” Lewis told Sky Sports in August. “That’s all I needed. Liverpool were all over it. It was a good opportunity to come and play.

“I like the idea of being at a smaller team like Livingston. People might think we are the underdogs going into every game but I don’t see it that way. I’ve been around the players and they are hungry for success. The main thing is to try and get more points last year.”


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