5 Liverpool loanees who can break into the first team in the upcoming season

The Youth Academy at Liverpool FC is a top-class institution that's known to produce great players over the years. Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Micheal Owen, to name a few.

The youngsters at the club are sent out on loan-spells for a couple of seasons to gain some valuable first-team experience.

This is done with the hope of honing their skills and abilities to new levels. Also, apart from the young-guns, players who for some reason haven't quite clicked at Liverpool FC are given an opportunity to rebuild their careers elsewhere through the eloquent loaning system.

In the 2017-2018 season, Liverpool FC loaned out 18 of their players (both transfer windows included). The loanees primarily included youngsters but there were also other players, the likes of Daniel Sturridge for example, whose careers had come to a halt and who were looking for ways to get back to their level best again.

The club chose to send most of their talent within the country itself to lower division football clubs where they could ply their trade.

Currently, the 2018-2019 Liverpool squad has great depth to it. It has a perfect mix of experience and youth, national and international players. Hence, breaking into the first-team is barely going to be easy for any player regardless of their performances.

Liverpool has developed a reputation for itself for being a club that gives youth a chance. Therefore, the players can be confident of getting a chance. It's what they do with the chance once they get it that really defines their career.

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#5 Divock Origi

The 23-year old Belgian striker who was signed from Lille in 2013-2014 has so far, failed to make an impact at Liverpool. Liverpool has no shortages in the attacking department and that seems to have made life all the more difficult for Belgian prodigy.

In August 2017, he was loaned out to German side VFL Wolfsburg. He went on to make 22 appearances for the club scoring 6 goals and assists 2 more. But all-in-all, his performances were ordinary. His inconsistency cost the team who finished the season in the relegation playoffs position.

In order to be a successful striker at any club, he has to improve his finishing abilities. Not at all clinical, he costs the team with too many missed chances. With that being said, he's a tricky dribbler with the ball and can score the occasional blinder from well outside the box.

For Origi to gain Klopp's trust, he has to improve on his defensive work-rate. Front-line players at Liverpool FC are expected to have a great work-rate and the ability to link up play and interchange positions easily. Unless Origi imbibes the Liverpool philosophy, his chances at success there look bleak.

#4 Pedro Chirivella

As a defensive-minded player, his attacking contributions of one goal and three assists in the last season are quite commendable

Captain of Valencia's youth team, Pedro Chirivella signed professionally for Liverpool in the year 2013.

Since then, he has made just one appearance for Liverpool's first-team. There's potential in him, no doubt. But there's not been place for him in the squad yet. He has been of the loaning system for 2 years now and in 2017, he was loaned out to Dutch side, Willem II.

As a defensive-minded player, his attacking contributions are commendable. He scored 1 goal and assisted 3 more. The important metric to look at though is his passing accuracy which stood at 81.5% for the 2017-2018 season. Not too shabby a statistic.

The signings of Fabinho and Naby Keita early in the transfer window have drastically reduced his chances of breaking into the first-team this year again.

However, a long-term injury to either of them could mean a call-up for Pedro. Despite being small, he has the tenacity that's very much needed to compete in the Premier League.

Like an old-fashioned defender, he loves a challenge and seldom shies away from them. He's a greater passer of the ball and has the ability to hit the rare long ranger from well outside the box.

He has all the attributes that Klopp looks for in a defensive-minded player. All that he needs now is a slice of luck to come his way.

#3 Sheyi Ojo

He's a versatile forward which only strengthens his case for first-team football as that's a trait that Klopp generally looks for in his front-line players

Sheyi Ojo is a young English man with loads of potential. He joined Liverpool at the age of 14 in spite of interest from a number of other top European clubs.

The 2015-2016 campaign proved to be his breakthrough season at Liverpool. He went on to make eight appearances for the first team scoring no goals but impressing fans with his dazzling skill and raw pace.

In order to ensure that his potential is not lost sitting on the bench, he was loaned out to Championship side Fulham for the entire 2017-2018 season. Over the course of the season, he made 24 appearances scoring four goals and assisting two more.

The fact that he's a versatile forward strengthens his case for first-team football as that's a trait that Klopp generally looks for in his front-line players.

Traditionally a forward, he plays the attacking midfield position also really well and loves to play short one-two passes, precisely the Liverpool way. An area of his game that he really needs to improve is his crossing abilities especially because of the position in which he prefers to play.

With Liverpool participating in a number of competitions this year and a true out-wide player being omitted from their transfer purchases, he stands a great chance to make a few appearances. All that he has to do is impress the boss once he gets his opportunity.

#2 Marko Grujic

Marko Grujic was a relatively accomplished footballer even before he signed for Liverpool in the year 2015

22-year old, Marko Grujic was a relatively accomplished footballer even before he signed for Liverpool in the year 2015. When he signed for Liverpool for a meagre sum of £5.1 million, he arrived with expectation on his shoulders.

In early January 2018, Klopp realised that he wasn't getting the best out of him and so loaned him out to Championship side, Cardiff City for the rest of the season.

At Cardiff, he made an immediate impact and proved to be a powerful presence in the midfield. In 12 appearances for the club, he managed to score one goal.

His playing style embodies everything that Klopp looks for in a midfielder. Extremely strong on and off-the-ball, the Serbian youngster rarely buckles from a challenge.

On account of his great knowledge of the game, he has grown into a successful interceptor of crucial balls that are played dangerously towards the goal. The fact that he can pass the ball and shoot well shows that he has all the attributes that are looked for in a box-to-box midfielder.

However, he lacks concentration and discipline both of which are needed to play regularly for a big club. Still young, he has time on his side and an opportunity to grow and mature into a well-rounded player. Hopefully, in the not-so-distant future, he will be given an opportunity to occupy the central midfield position in Klopp's favoured 4-3-3 formation.

#1 Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson had a great loan deal with Hull City

Despite his Welsh nationality, Harry Wilson has every right to be called a Scouser. He's been with the club right from the U-9 levels.

In 2015, he signed his first professional contract with the club and won his first call-up to the senior team the very next year. He is the club's youngest ever international representing his country, Wales aged 16 years and 207 days breaking the Welsh Wizard, Gareth Bale's previous set-record.

In the January transfer window of the 2017-2018 season, he moved to Championship team Hull City on loan. In his short spell there, he went on to become a kind of a goal-scoring machine.

In just 11 appearances, he notched up seven goals and three assists for the Tigers.

His impressive run of form and consistency at all levels make him the perfect candidate for a first-team call-up. Add to that his versatility and attributes and you can see exactly why he can be Klopp's golden kid this year.

He has an eye for key passes and the ability to execute them. He's a hard-worker off the ball and can dribble & cross the ball well. He's not shy making crisp one-two passes around the edge of the box and has the knack for scoring special goals.

Early in the 2018-2019 transfer window, he was close to moving to Scottish giants Celtic FC. However, the move broke down because of lack of assurances on his game-time. In the first pre-season game of the 2018-2019 season against Chester FC, he scored a first-half brace before being substituted.

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