Liverpool Introduce Academy Wage Cap of £40K Per Year for Youngsters

Liverpool have introduced an annual wage cap of £40,000 for their young stars in an attempt to keep them grounded.

As reported by Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph, the Reds are out to find a solution to the "too much, too young" culture currently in the football world. Now any 17-year-old in the first year of their senior contract will not earn more than the sum aforementioned.

"That will increase with bonuses such as under-23 appearances and first-team promotions at Anfield or while on loan in the lower divisions," continued Bascombe. Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur have also introduced similar measures, according to the report.

It’s suggested that some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs are seeking to secure the best youngsters by offering a weekly salary of £11,000. 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and the club’s academy director Alex Inglethorpe are said to support the initiative.

Per Bascombe, the former has made it clear he wants the path from the academy to the first team to be one often tread.

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"I can promise that before we sign a player who isn't a lot better than what we already have, we will always use our own boys," said Klopp, per Bascombe. "That's how the future should be, even in the crazy football transfer world. We want to be this special club."

Additionally, the Merseyside club reportedly want their youngsters to play an active role in schools football too, while Inglethorpe is said to be looking at investing in quality of footballers over quantity.

Keith Costigan of Fox Sports feels as though these latest regulations are a positive step, and he’s excited by Klopp and Inglethorpe working together:

Liverpool’s academy remains one of the most revered in the English game, although there has been a lack of local talent coming through in recent years. The likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler all gave the Reds a Scouse pulse in the past.

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Jon Flanagan was the last local youngster to make the transition and cement a spot in the first team, although he’s currently on loan at Burnley.

Liverpool have had issues with young players demanding massive salaries recently. Per Natalie Perks of BBC Sport, Raheem Sterling rejected a £100,000-a-week contract from the Reds in 2014 before moving to Manchester City the following summer. Then-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers suggested Sterling had been badly advised, per Rob Draper of the Mail on Sunday.

The obvious potential flaw in this initiative is the prospect of youngsters from the Merseyside catchment area moving elsewhere because of the promise of a more lucrative contract. 

With that in mind, the Reds will need to ensure that all other aspects of their academy are attractive to the stars of the next generation. Should prospects emerge and play a part in the first team with this new initiative underpinning their progress, then suddenly the issue of a salary cap for their first year as a professional would not be off-putting for young players.