5 Liverpool players who need to be loaned out

Following on from the look at who Chelsea need to loan out, this time we’ll look at Liverpool. If used properly the loan system can bring two benefits to the club and player. The ideal situation is that the player goes out on loan to get game time and first team experience before coming back to the first team ready to play. The second, as Liverpool exploited last season with Andy Carroll, is sending a player out on loan then get them back in the shop window before selling them on. If Carroll had been stuck on the Liverpool bench last season rather than showing his prowess at West Ham, they wouldn’t have gotten £15.5m.

Here are five Liverpool players who need a loan move for different reasons.

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Stewart Downing (28) – Wide midfield

Scout Report

Downing is forever associated with the waste of money along with Carroll and Jordan Henderson. His performances last season improved at times but it’s obvious that Rodgers tolerated him at best. With all the young attacking midfielders they have being added to with Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Christian Atsu and most importantly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the competition with be fierce. These are small, technically skillful and intelligently moving players by and large. Downing’s limited game style looks increasingly ill at ease with this recruitment strategy. He can make chances and is a decent crosser of the ball. He’s very solid and reliable defensively and is still a consistent player. Not a £20m one, not one to get you in to the top four but a professional and hard working player.

So why does he need a loan?

Liverpool would look at this as they did with Carroll. A successful loan would increase the price they could get for selling him next summer. At the moment it’s ‘eurgh, Stewart Downing’ but a good season somewhere could make it ‘oooh, Stewart Downing’.

Where should he go?

Fulham are thought to be admirers and offer him a low profile environment. Sunderland had a total lack of width last season and Di Canio would be impressed with Downing’s professionalism.

Sebastien Coates (22) – Central defence

Scout Report

Coates is a huge man, measuring in a 6’5? and built very strongly. He is surprisingly swift for such a big man and has excellent leap and spring which makes him a potentially dominant presence in central defence. He has all the raw tools required to be an elite Premier League defender physically but his weakness is his mind set. There are questions as to whether he has shown requisite toughness and concentration. However, part of this could be that he is very young and hasn’t been given an extended opportunity to play in the Premier League. League Cup and Europa League qualifying rounds won’t toughen him up.

So why does he need a loan?

He needs a full season of top flight elite European league first team football, preferably in the Premier League. There’s no way for Liverpool to know what they have in him if they don’t trust him enough to play him regularly.

Where should he go?

Fulham are looking for central defensive help and he would be a starter. Could potentially be exceptional in Aston Villa‘s three man defence with Vlaar and Okore. Alternatively, if Liverpool sign Kyriakos Papadopoulos from Schalke, sending Coates to the Bundesliga to them would be a good idea.

Raheem Sterling (18) – Attacking midfielder/winger

Scout Report

Sterling burst in to the Liverpool first team last season at a time when they were suffering with injuries and showed promise due to his decimating pace and direct dribbling. He was talked of as one of the elite seven prospects in England. However, his goal output both in terms of scoring and creating slowed down, perhaps due to burn out and off field distractions. However, he has the kind of game changing speed, particularly on the counter attack, that teams can’t teach.

So why does he need a loan?

Sterling ran out of steam and pretty much vanished from first team action in 2013, having only been involved in three goals in the prior three months. He’s still very young and raw so needs first team football. He needs to be playing every week to improve his consistency. Liverpool couldn’t offer that last year and certainly can’t this with all their new attacking options.

Where should he go?

A season in the Championship could be ideal. If he fights his way through the hurly burly of that schedule, it will do him a lot of good. It could help his maturation process to be the key player somewhere. If Wigan lose players they would be a good, and local, environment for him. Likewise, Bolton have proven themselves a good spot for young English players to go and play the right way. He needs to be in the North-West though, and not sent back to London.

Suso (19) – Attacking midfield

Scout Report

Suso is what you would expect of a young Spanish attacking midfielder. Technically sound, swift in possession and intelligent. What he needs to add is goal threat. He weaves pretty patterns and makes nice runs but he needs to look at his team mate Philippe Coutinho at how to convert that prettiness in to goal danger. He’s got tricks and is a nice ball striker. Able to play in any of the positions in attacking midfield areas.

So why does he need a loan?

Needs to be a regular starter in order to experiment with his talent and learn how to turn it in to productiveness ready to push for the first team in 2014/15.

Where should he go?

Could make sense to send him to Celta Vigo where he’d replace Iago Aspas. Levante are short of inventiveness to compliment their solidity so he could take on a prominent role there.

Jack Robinson (19) – Left back

Scout Report

Robinson made his first team debut in 2010 which at the time saw him as the youngest ever Liverpool player. His combination of decent speed and intelligence marked him out as a strong full back prospect. At 5’11? he has good height for a full back and the kind of frame that could hold more weight as he gets stronger. He has been the England under 21 first choice and displaced Wolves captain Stephen Ward on loan at the back end of last season.

So why does he need a loan?

Jose Enrique is the current starter but at times Liverpool operated Glen Johnson or even Stewart Downing there so the place is up for grabs long term. However, Robinson isn’t quite ready to be given the spot. A season in the Premier League should ready him up to be the long term answer from 2014 onwards.

Where should he go?

Stoke need a left back and are going to playing more stylishly under Mark Hughes. If they fail to get Danny Rose permanently Sunderland will have a hole that needs filling.