Liverpool willing to listen to loan offers for young striker
Liverpool are thought to be open to loan offers for their young English striker Rhian Brewster once the transfer window opens in January.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is believed to be in favour of allowing the 19-year-old to gain first-team experience out on loan.
The forward has only featured in the Carabao Cup this season, failing to score or particularly impress in either of his appearances.
Regardless, he is said to be attracting interest from Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in the Premier League, as well as a host of Championship clubs.
As usual when negotiating loan deals for their young talent, Liverpool will studiously seek assurances over Brewster’s playing time at any potential temporary home before giving the green light.
The current Premier League leaders opening up to a loan move is arguably a slight setback for a player who signed a five-year deal in the summer of 2018, and was targeting a place in the first-team accordingly.
“I want to prove to everyone that the boss has kept faith in me for a reason and I want to prove to everyone that I’m good enough to be in the first team,” Brewster said earlier this year.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite worked out that way for Brewster yet.
A long-term ankle injury incurred in January 2018, keeping him on the side-lines for over a year, has undoubtedly held back his previously rapid progress.
As such, it may be a case of taking a step backwards to move two steps forward.
It’s certainly worked out that way for Tammy Abraham, whose successful loan spells at Bristol City and Aston Villa in the Championship convinced his new manager Frank Lampard that he was worthy of a prolonged spell as Chelsea’s first-choice striker this campaign.
Abraham has duly rewarded his manager’s faith, scoring ten league goals in thirteen games. Moreover, the 22-year-old looks set to head to the European Championship next summer as England’s second-choice striker behind Harry Kane.
Abraham’s development provides no guarantee for Brewster, of course, but in an exclusive interview with Scouted Football last month, Brewster suggested he is fully aware of the hard work ahead of him.
“You can’t think it’s easy and you’re just going to get there with your talent, because you need to work hard as well,” he said.
“I’ve seen a lot of people with talent but not everyone makes it because of the attitude and the drive.”
In the same interview, Brewster described his healthy relationship with Klopp, and the advice the German gave him:
“My relationship with him [Jürgen Klopp] is very, very good. He’s easy to approach and easy to talk to. I think you need a manager like that.
“[He tells me] be patient and you’ll play. Wait for your time and hopefully it’ll come.”
Time is certainly on Brewster’s side to come good at Liverpool; after all, no club gives a young player yet to make his Premier League debut a deal as lengthy as five years without a long-term plan.
Like Abraham has done, though, it appears he will need to prove he is good enough elsewhere first in order to fulfil it.
