With fears among fans that Liverpool are undoing Jurgen Klopp‘s hard work in allowing a number of youngsters to leave, Arne Slot has rejected that stance.
After a season that saw the best of Liverpool’s academy shine at first-team level, most notably in winning the Carabao Cup, things have changed this summer.
Bobby Clark joined Red Bull Salzburg in a £10 million deal on Thursday and could be followed through exit by Stefan Bajcetic, Tyler Morton, Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon, James McConnell, Calum Scanlon, Owen Beck, Marcelo Pitaluga and Harvey Blair.
Many of those are expected to depart on loan but others, such as Doak and Morton, are reported to be available on a permanent basis.
It has led to concerns among supporters that Liverpool’s new regime is culling a group that was affectionately dubbed ‘Klopp’s kids’, but Slot has insisted it is the right move.
“That’s always a difficult one, because young players want to play as well and if they want to develop they have to play,” he explained on Friday.
“It’s always like this. They come through the ranks of the youth academy and either then you’re good enough to play for us many minutes or you’re still not there, or there’s too much competition in your position.
“I think still this team, with what we have, has a lot of homegrown players. One of them, Trey Nyoni, is also training with us on a daily basis at only 17.
“So this club will always bring good youngsters.
“It’s always a challenge to find the right moment, either to play them or if they’ve played quite a lot of minutes they want to make the next step in their career.
“And if that is not possible because Virgil van Dijk is playing there, or Mo Salah is playing there, or all the other top players are playing here, then it’s best for them and also for the club to let them go.
“Because you always want to take care of your own interest, but you also have a responsibility to the players.
“If they want to play somewhere and it’s not possible with us, and they’re not happy with 500 or 600 minutes – because these youngsters didn’t play many Premier League games, they played a few games in the cup – then you have to, in my opinion, let them develop somewhere else.”
Slot’s final point is crucial, as though those youngsters made vital contributions last season they rarely did so in the Premier League and were largely involved due to injuries to senior players.
It could still be argued that Liverpool are leaving themselves short, but a lot could change over the next week before the transfer deadline.
