A Liverpool player with experience in defense and midfield has raised questions over his Anfield future. And no, it isn’t Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Rumors are swirling this week that Alexander-Arnold has finally agreed terms with Real Madrid, which will see him leave his boyhood club. Yet it’s another Academy graduate who has beaten him to the punch in terms of actually speaking publicly about his transfer plans.
Luca Stephenson, who got a chance in pre-season this summer under Arne Slot before being sent out on loan, has discussed what comes next in his development. He name-checked Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah as success stories — but admitted he will nonetheless need to weigh up his own options.
In theory, the Anfield pathway could be slightly opening up for Stephenson upon his return from Dundee United in the summer. He has experience at right-back (although Bradley will still be around for stiff competition), and he has also played at center-back, amid continued uncertainty about Virgil van Dijk.
Meanwhile, he’s actually spent a lot of time on the right flank in the Scottish top flight. There would be uproar if Stephenson returned as the Mohamed Salah replacement, but it’s an interesting quirk that he’s one of a select few who has played in the positions of all of the out-of-contract trio.
But the 21-year-old is being realistic about his prospects. “I’ve been in a little bit of conversation,” he admitted, via the Courier.
“I don’t 100% know yet, I’ll have one year left on my deal at Liverpool next year. So there’s a conversation to be had there of whether there’ll be a new contract on the table down there or not.
“Then it’s probably just about early summer time – as soon as our season finishes. Having a look at what’s best for me, whether it’s back here, whether it’s backing out of Liverpool to play somewhere else.”
Stephenson has made 28 league appearances for Dundee United, earning some hugely valuable exposure to regular football. He has bagged three goals and two assists.
(Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
It would be understandable if he wanted to maintain that level of game time, which would of course require a move away from Anfield. And while the likes of Bradley and Quansah show that the pathway is there, Stephenson acknowledges that they are special:
“You can only get so much out of a club like Liverpool as a young player sometimes if you’re not going to be a Conor Bradley or a Jarell Quansah,” he conceded. “If you’re not going to be one of those players and you’re just going to be in the background, maybe getting a start in the League Cup, I don’t think that benefits you much in the long run.”
With that, the writing is surely on the wall in terms of a departure from Liverpool. Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin has revealed he would be open to making the transfer permanent if the opportunity arose, so that’s one potential route.
Valued at just under $1 million by Transfermarkt, Stephenson wouldn’t be netting Liverpool a fortune (albeit more than Alexander-Arnold). But wherever his future lies, he looks set to be an example of the loan system working well, providing Slot with a steady stream of either players or profit.
Bradley and Quansah look to be following Alexander-Arnold’s path to a genuine first-team role at Liverpool. But Stephenson’s route should certainly not be thought of as “failing” — and if he does leave, he will do so with a significant degree of goodwill.
