Ranking Liverpool's Rising Stars from the 2016/17 Season on Potential
While Liverpool are looking to add new players to their squad this summer, don't think manager Jurgen Klopp will turn his back on the club's youth system.
The Reds have a proud history of developing talent—and Klopp appears keen to continue the tradition.
The German's first eight months in charge saw more of a focus on European football, allowing him to blood youngsters in domestic action. Last season, opportunities were offered in the cup competitions.
But who took their chance to impress in the 2016/17 campaign? Perhaps more importantly, who looks as if they could make the grade and save the club a fortune in the transfer market?
Bleacher Report has attempted to gaze into the future by ranking the current crop of prospects.
To qualify for this list, you cannot be over 21 and must have appeared in at least one first-team game during the past season, whether as a starter or coming off the bench.
Also, the idea here is not to judge who is the best player now but who has the best chance of becoming a regular starter for the Reds in the coming years. As ever, this is all a matter of opinion.
Honourable Mentions
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Liverpool's academy churns out more talent than will be mentioned in these rankings. Some were sent out on loan last season, although Klopp seems particularly keen to watch players develop at close quarters.
Here are a few words on those who, while included in matchday squads, didn't appear for the first team in 2016/17.
Rhian Brewster: The forward left Chelsea at 14 to join Liverpool. He hadn't made his debut for the Reds under-18 team prior to the start of the season, yet such was his development Klopp drafted him in to fill a depleted bench for the Premier League game against Crystal Palace in April.
Verdict: Versatile frontman looks to have real promise.
Jordan Williams: The midfielder—who made his debut in the 2015/16 season in a League Cup tie with Middlesbrough—was an unused substitute in the FA Cup third-round replay against Plymouth Argyle. Despite failing to feature, he was still handed a new one-year contract.
Verdict: At 21, it is tough to see how Williams makes the grade at Anfield.
Paulo Alves: Like Williams, attacking midfielder Alves—who moved to England from FC Porto in 2015—made the bench for the replay with Plymouth but was not called into action.
Verdict: The Portuguese has one year left on his contract, according to Transfermarkt, so time is running out to impress the coaching staff.
Time to rank those youngsters who did manage at least one minute of action last season.
8. Connor Randall
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Connor Randall's solitary appearance came in the fourth round of the FA Cup—and he only lasted 45 minutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers before being substituted at the break.
Per Transfermarkt, the Liverpudlian's contract runs until the summer of 2019. However, a move away—whether temporary or permanent—would be ideal to kickstart his career.
While Klopp was perhaps keen to keep him around last season to provide cover for Nathaniel Clyne, the emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold has seemingly pushed Randall further down the pecking order.
At 21, he needs to be playing competitive games rather than continuing to turn out for the under-23 side.
Verdict: It's hard to rank Randall any higher because of his age and position in the squad. He cannot afford to be waiting around for occasional opportunities.
7. Sheyi Ojo
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Sheyi Ojo played just 104 minutes of first-team football last season. All of them came against Plymouth in the FA Cup; he started the first meeting before coming on as a second-half sub in the replay.
Per Transfermarkt, the winger was hampered by a back injury until November. He made his comeback for the reserves the following month yet failed to make the bench for any Premier League fixture.
Considering he featured eight times in the league in 2015/16 after returning from a loan spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 19-year-old's Reds career clearly regressed over the past 12 months.
Ojo did at least finish the season on a high, helping England to glory at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
However, his club prospects do not look so positive.
According to Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph, Liverpool are ready to break their transfer record to sign Mohamed Salah from AS Roma. Adding another wideman would only push Ojo further down the pecking order.
Verdict: Ojo needs to be either in the first-team picture regularly or allowed to leave on loan. If nothing else, a spell at a different club would stick him in the shop window.
6. Harry Wilson
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Harry Wilson captained Liverpool's under-23 side last season, leading by example by scoring 28 goals.
While the winger only played once for the first team, coming on as a sub in the FA Cup replay against Plymouth, he has impressed when training with the senior squad at Melwood.
"He has got a great left foot," Reds midfielder Adam Lallana told BT Sport (h/t Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo). "Everyone is speaking about Ben Woodburn, Trent, Ovie [Ejaria], but Harry keeps his head down, works hard and I think he has a great future ahead of him."
The Welshman made his international debut long before appearing for Liverpool, coming on against Belgium at the age of 16 years and 208 days back in 2013.
Now 20, he is attracting admiring glances from other clubs. Per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, the Reds knocked back Celtic's approach for the player at the end of May.
Wilson's route to regular minutes with Liverpool looks tougher than an army assault course, but there is hope.
"He has got to continue working hard and keep developing the strengths that he has got and become outstanding at what he does, and then hopefully we can see him break through," under-23 team manager Mike Garrity told Steve Hunter of the club website.
Verdict: Klopp needs to work out what he has in Wilson. Another season on the outside looking in does no good for all concerned. In terms of the rankings, his position is mainly down to a lack of minutes.
5. Ovie Ejaria
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Alongside club colleague Ojo, Ovie Ejaria was part of Paul Simpson's triumphant England squad at the U-20 World Cup.
The tournament success concluded an excellent season for the midfielder. He made three appearances in both the EFL and FA Cups while also twice coming off the bench in the Premier League.
Klopp singled out Ejaria as an example for the other promising youngsters included on the club's training camp in Tenerife, Spain, in March. He told Chris Shaw of the club's official website:
"I told the boys before the session [on Tuesday] that last year, Ovie Ejaria came onto my plate, if you want.
"I saw him here first. I knew him, I saw him playing a few times, but here having him around for four days and seeing him in small spaces in the sessions against the 'adults' if you want was very important for him and for me."
Liverpool's gain could be Arsenal's pain. Ejaria spent his formative years with the Gunners before opting to move to Merseyside in 2014.
Verdict: Able to play anywhere across midfield, the 19-year-old's versatility, along with the Reds' potentially crowded fixture list, could see him get further first-team minutes in 2017/18.
4. Joe Gomez
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After two injury-plagued years at Anfield, Joe Gomez deserves a bit of luck as he bids to continue his development.
It appears, however, his opportunity to get competitive action could come away from Liverpool next season.
The Argus' Andy Naylor reported how Premier League newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion are ahead of Celtic in the battle to sign the talented defender, whether on loan or a permanent transfer.
Wherever Gomez goes, he needs to be playing regularly. Having joined from Charlton Athletic, he made a bright start to life on Merseyside before a serious knee problem put his career on hold.
The 20-year-old made his comeback in November last year, and Klopp picked him in all three FA Cup games in 2017, with the England youth international starting at centre-back against Plymouth (twice) and then also the home loss to Wolves in the next round.
Still, Liverpool's public pursuit of Virgil van Dijk suggests Gomez—who has represented England at under-21 level—isn't viewed as a first-team starter just yet.
Verdict: While his stock has slipped—albeit through no fault of his own—there is still time for him to show those promising early performances were not a flash in the pan. He needs to play regularly, though.
3. Marko Grujic
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Whether stuck as a substitute or sat in the treatment room, Marko Grujic's first season with Liverpool was rather frustrating.
The Serbian midfielder was signed in January 2016 but immediately loaned back to Red Star Belgrade. When he arrived on Merseyside, he impressed during the Reds' busy pre-season schedule.
Cameo appearances against Burnley and Hull City in the Premier League suggested Grujic was considered of first-team quality. Physically, he looked up to the task.
However, he had dropped off the end of the bench before suffering a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three months.
The 21-year-old played a grand total of 10 minutes in the league in 2017, meaning his most memorable contribution over the course of the campaign was his look of shock on the bench following Jordan Henderson's stunning goal away at Chelsea.
Still, Zoran Stojadinovic, the player's representative, told Mirko Markovic of HotSport (h/t Liverpool Echo): "There is mutual trust. Klopp values Grujic and expects him to be part of the team next season."
Verdict: Grujic will represent his country at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship before returning to his club for what could be a make-or-break campaign. He must take the opportunities that come his way.
2. Ben Woodburn
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When he slotted home Liverpool's second goal in the EFL Cup quarter-final against Leeds United last November, Ben Woodburn made sure his football life would never be the same again.
At 17 years and 45 days, the Wales youth international became the famous club's youngest scorer. Michael Owen previously held the record. No pressure then, Ben.
Woodburn made his Premier League bow just days before his maiden goal and was handed his first league start away at Stoke City in April. While he only lasted 45 minutes, Klopp appears to be a big fan.
So, too, is a Liverpool legend who knows a thing or two about scoring goals at a young age.
"The lad is a good player," Robbie Fowler told Sam Williams of Liverpool's website. "He is definitely going the right way. He definitely is one to watch out for in the next season or two."
While making an early impact is no guarantee of future success, Liverpool's coaching staff can afford to be patient with a player who dramatically raised expectation levels the moment he swung his right foot at Georginio Wijnaldum's layoff to create history.
Verdict: Woodburn is ranked highly on this list because time is on his side. It is worth remembering he doesn't turn 18 until October, so the Reds don't have to rush his development.
1. Trent Alexander-Arnold
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Trent Alexander-Arnold was Liverpool's bolter in the 2016/17 season, coming out of nowhere (well, Liverpool's academy) to become a regular member of Klopp's squad.
Having played in both the EFL and FA Cups, the 18-year-old was handed a tough Premier League debut when picked to fill in for the absent Clyne away at Manchester United.
The full-back—who has also played in midfield at youth level—acquitted himself well in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in January, suggesting he can already make the jump up to the first team.
For Alexander-Arnold, it was just another giant step during a fairytale year. He told James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:
"Last season I only played once for the under-23s. Most of my football was with the under-18s and I didn't even really train with the under-23s. Going into pre-season my target was to push on and become an under-23s regular and get minutes for them.
"I never thought that it would be possible to make the leap into the first-team squad so quickly."
The challenge moving forward is to become more than just Clyne's understudy.
Verdict: Is Alexander-Arnold the most talented on this list? Probably not. However, he holds an advantage over the rest, not just because of the position he plays but also his performances so far in the first team.
All statistics used in the slideshow are from Transfermarkt unless otherwise stated.
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