Liverpool 20-year-old close to new contract and loan move after Arne Slot 'blocked' January transfer

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Liverpool are reportedly close to extending the contract of a 20-year-old academy talent, who will then be loaned out after being blocked from leaving in January.

Liverpool talent James McConnell is reportedly on the verge of signing a new deal with the Reds, who will then send him out on loan for the 2025-26 season.

The 20-year-old has been in and around the Liverpool first team for the past couple of seasons, although he was not called up to Arne Slot's 29-man squad for their pre-season tour of Asia.

However, it is understood that McConnell's absence is due to a training injury rather than any on-field concerns, and the midfielder is expected to be fully operational again in around a week's time.

After making his Liverpool debut under Jurgen Klopp in the German's final season, McConnell played four times for Arne Slot last season, including in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven.

The England Under-20 international did not play a single minute of Premier League football in 2024-25, but nevertheless, Slot has supposedly been left impressed by what he has seen.

McConnell 'close' to new Liverpool contract and summer loan move

According to the Daily Mail, McConnell will soon sign a long-term contract extension at Anfield, and the 2004-born lynchpin will then be loaned out - either at home or abroad - for the upcoming campaign.

Recently-relegated Ipswich Town are supposedly in the mix to sign McConnell, as are West Bromwich Albion and Derby County, who have both negotiated deals with Liverpool for defender Nat Phillips over the past year.

McConnell is also understood to have attracted glances from unnamed Bundesliga clubs, and some teams have requested an option to make the deal permanent at the end of his loan spell.

However, Liverpool are not prepared to let the 20-year-old leave for good, as Slot is a 'big fan' of McConnell, whom he blocked from leaving the club at the end of the January transfer window.

The midfielder has spent the last six years at Anfield following his move from Sunderland in 2019, and he played 33 minutes of Liverpool's EFL Cup final win over Chelsea in February 2024.

Liverpool contract situations assessed ahead of new McConnell deal

McConnell's new deal will see him become the second midfield academy talent to pen fresh terms this summer, as Trey Nyoni committed his future to the Premier League champions at the end of June.

Liverpool are also believed to be close to tying down highly-rated defender Wellity Lucky, but they may not be so lucky with fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who is now in the last 12 months of his terms.

An agreement between the two parties is still some way off, and there have been whispers that Konate has given preference to Real Madrid, who are holding out hope of a free transfer in 2026.

Ben Doak, Tyler Morton, Rhys Williams and Andy Robertson can leave for nothing next year too, while Calvin Ramsey, Stefan Bajcetic, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, have entered the last two years of their deals.

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