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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
It has been a summer of departures at Anfield with 11 players leaving on loan or permanently, and only one senior arrival.
Young players Bobby Duncan and Ryan Kent were the latest players to leave, joining Fiorentina and Rangers respectively, adding a reported £7.8m to the club’s income over summer – which now stands at £53.2m.
In response, the Reds mainly chose to add young players over the summer, with Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliott both joining, and the latter could be in line for a more important role following Kent’s departure.
The 16-year-old was highly-rated at his previous club Fulham, so much so that Scott Parker handed him his debut in May to make him the youngest ever Premier League player, just 30 days after his 16th birthday.
Alongside Elliott, Liverpool also have Luis Longstaff. The winger has been fast-tracked into the Liverpool U23 team this season despite being only 18, and he didn’t take long to make an impression, scoring in his first game for the team in a 4-2 win over Southampton.
Likewise, Elliott hasn’t taken long to show his quality and against the Saints he impressed U23s manager Neil Critchley with his link-up player alongside highly-rated striker Rhian Brewster, and if the two build up a partnership it could help both players’ chances of making the first team.
Having impressed on loan at Rangers last season Kent may well have been called upon for a spot in the 18 if the likes of Salah and Mane suffered injuries or were absent for any reason, and his departure has created a space in the squad that either Elliott or Longstaff could potentially fill.
Breaking into the first team can be a difficult task for wingers at Anfield, as the cases of Kent and Harry Wilson prove, but the emergence of these two young players into Liverpool’s second team at such a young age indicates there could be a bright future ahead of them.
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Both players have age on their side but may look to follow in the footsteps of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who earned a place in the first-team without spending time out on loan, unlike players such as Kent and Wilson.
Elliott has been praised for his ability on the ball, but his work rate and desire when out of possession has also gained recognition and it is that type of attitude which is required to be a top player at Liverpool, so the future certainly looks bright for him.
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