Arne Slot sticks to his word with Liverpool January transfer decision made
Liverpool boss Arne Slot addressed the future of James McConnell and his January transfer plans after the young midfielder's standout performance against PSV Eindhoven
by Abbie Meehan · The MirrorArne Slot has kept his initial promise at Liverpool to give youth a chance after confirming that James McConnell is set for more first-team action.
The Reds manager has been tapping into his squad depth recently as the team's schedule becomes increasingly congested. Young talents like Jayden Danns, Tyler Morton, Trey Nyoni and James McConnell all featured in Liverpool's narrow 3-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday night – with one youngster catching Slot's eye in particular.
The boss is convinced that 20-year-old McConnell has earned his spot in the Liverpool senior squad, despite the PSV match marking only his third start. Slot has consistently advocated for giving young players opportunities, echoing his early sentiments at the club by stating that age is no barrier to playing if the talent is there.
Back in the summer, Slot said in his first press conference: "I like to see good players, if they are old or young it doesn't matter that much. It's always nice for a club and team that young players come through the ranks. So that always gives energy into a club as well so that it's not only the players brought in from other clubs but also players from the academy.
"In the end, it's about the quality – and I did a review and they (the young players) did really well. So, if they continue doing so – there will be a fair chance they will play as well."
Initially, supporters thought that young talents like McConnell would be sent out on loan before the transfer window closes on Monday evening. However, Slot has had a change of heart as the manager has other intentions for the promising English midfielder.
Slot revealed that he will be meeting with Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, to discuss the future of several squad members – and he's been notably taken with McConnell's recent performances.
Following the tight loss to PSV on Wednesday, Slot said: "There's always a chance in life. And at the moment we have most of our players fit so we will have this discussion tomorrow I think between me and Richard about these players. But there's definitely one that will not go out on loan: James McConnell.
"I liked him a lot today. Maybe the end result today would be good for him to go and play [elsewhere] but he is a player who hasn't played a lot in the last six or seven months as he was injured for a while. He impressed me a lot today.
"He is competitive in the training sessions we had, he is always very competitive. I'm not surprised [by how he played], but you always wonder how you will react at this level. James plays and is competitive. He definitely deserves credit for his performance today."
Slot will need to tap into the full breadth of his team in the upcoming weeks, given Liverpool's ongoing participation in all domestic and European competitions.
They've reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals, the FA Cup fourth round, the Champions League last 16, and are presently leading the Premier League - so they'll require every bit of support to maintain their remarkable run. Slot's men return to the pitch on Saturday afternoon, facing off against high-flying Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium at 3pm.
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