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The 2018/19 season ended with Liverpool falling just one point short of Manchester City in the Premier League title race and then going on to become six-time European Champions. In the 2017/18 season, although Liverpool had a wonderful season reaching the Champions League final, the squad depth of the team was criticized.
This problem was evident when Liverpool had no perfect replacement for Mohamed Salah after he went off injured in the final against Real Madrid. Squad depth does not just mean having players who can play in various positions but it also means having players who can ably replace the ones in the starting XI.
This problem was rectified by Jurgen Klopp when he brought Fabinho, Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker. However, even after that, there were debates as to who would be a backup for Roberto Firmino as neither Daniel Sturridge nor Divock Origi seemed able replacements.
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Sturridge has left the club and although Origi proved his doubters wrong with extremely crucial goals in the Champions League as well as the Premier League, doubts remained regarding the extent of replacements that Liverpool have. Further, the left-back spot was also in contention as Moreno was never a good enough backup for Andy Robertson and with Moreno now having left the club as well, James Milner and probably Joe Gomez are the only players who can fill in that position. However, they would be playing a bit out of position and thus Liverpool need a proper left-back to support Robertson.
Although Liverpool have a respectable transfer budget to buy new players, Klopp has specifically said that this will not be a big transfer window for the club. Keeping with what the boss has said, Liverpool can look into their Under-23 and Under-19 squads which are packed with talent.
So here is a look at three Liverpool players from the youth sides who can become good backups and can also start games when the fixtures become hectic and squad rotation becomes necessary.
So let's get started.
#1 Rhian Brewster
Brewster's name has been doing the rounds in the footballing world since England won the Under-17 World Cup with the Liverpool forward top scoring with 8 goals. At the end of last season, Klopp said in one of his interviews that Brewster will be given first team chances this season and his inclusion in the pre-season friendlies is proof of that. He has justified this inclusion with 4 goals including a calm and collected penalty.
For the Under-17 England side, Brewster has a spectacular record of 20 goals in 23 matches. With the Liverpool youth sides, the young striker has made 36 appearances, scoring 15 goals and assisting another 13.
He is a short and quick player with a low centre of gravity, capable of playing through the middle or on the wings. He has shown composure beyond his years when going for goals and can also suit Klopp's counter-pressing style. He can definitely be a good third or sometimes second striking option on the bench and can even start games in Cup competitions.
#2 Harry Wilson
Another name that always comes up in discussions regarding who to promote to the senior team is Harry Wilson. He has played 66 times for the youth sides and has scored 33 goals and assisted 18. He has also had successful loan spells at Hull City and Derby County, where he has impressed with 25 goals and 10 assists in 63 appearances overall.
On the international scene, he has already been capped 11 times by Wales. He is a winger gifted with immense pace and wonderful dribbling ability. He has a cracking left foot with which he can deliver a sweet ball into the box or can score a long-range screamer. Another ability of Wilson that stands out is his dead-ball ability. He is a free-kick specialist and has shown his prowess on many occasions for Derby County last season.
Further, his goal output also shows that he will fit perfectly into Klopp's system where wingers play more centrally and usually outscore the false nine, just like Salah and Mane score more goals than Firmino.
He will be an excellent option to bring on from the bench when the opposition is tiring and with Shaqiri now unfortunately injured, Wilson will be hoping that he gets a chance to prove his worth.
#3 Adam Lewis
The likes of Ben Woodburn or Curtis Jones maybe the picks for the third spot in this list. However, with enough competition and backup for the positions that they play in, they might have to wait for some time more to get regular first-team football.
The position that Liverpool need a backup in is the left-back position and they can get the backup without spending big money in the transfer market by promoting young Adam Lewis to the senior team.
Lewis has made 85 appearances for the Liverpool youth sides, scoring 7 goals and assisting 23. He is a tireless full-back who likes to attack but does not forego his defensive duties. He is a lovely crosser of the ball and a brilliant free-kick taker which is demonstrated by his assist stats. He is also a strong tackler who can play as a left-back, left winger or as a central midfielder.
His versatility is an added bonus to his ability as a defender. He can be a good enough deputy to Andy Robertson and can be the next Alexander-Arnold, breaking through at a young age to become a world-class talent.
Thus Liverpool have a huge reservoir of young talent and they would be wise to invest in youth rather than spend money on new signings, especially when considering backups for regular starters.
