Liverpool Reportedly Beat Manchester United, Chelsea to Ki-Jana Hoever Signing

Liverpool have reportedly beaten the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea to the signing of Ajax prospect Ki-Jana Hoever.

According to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, the 16-year-old defender has attracted interest from a number of huge clubs in European football.

"Hoever was rated as one of the biggest talents at Ajax's academy, and they are devastated to lose him," said Pearce. "He has played most of his football at right-back, but his long-term future is likely to be as a centre-back."

Pearce noted that Hoever has been training with the under-18 squad at Liverpool's academy already, and given he has yet to sign a professional deal in the Netherlands, the Reds will only have to pay Ajax a small amount of compensation to secure him.

Liverpool will have to wait until Hoever makes his first appearance for the club, though, as he needs international clearance before making his debut.

According to the report, one of the attractions of Liverpool for the teenager is the fact that manager Jurgen Klopp is intent on giving young players a chance in the first team.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has established himself as a first-team regular under Klopp, is said to be an "inspiration" for the Netherlands youth international.

As noted by David Maddock of the Daily Mirror, with the Reds set to sell Ragnar Klavan to Cagliari, there will most likely be opportunities for defenders to make their marks.

Hoever does appear to be a talent, and in addition to being a capable defender, he looks to be handy in set-piece situations, per Luke Foley.

It will surely be a while before the Reds supporters see Hoever in action for the senior side, although there's little doubt he is a player to keep an eye on in the academy setup.

As things stand, Liverpool have a number of options in defence, even with the impending sale of Klavan. Virgil van Dijk has been a big hit since his world-record transfer in January, while Joe Gomez is an exciting prospect. Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip will also be vying for starting spots at Anfield throughout the course of the campaign.