The Reds confirmed five loan departures on deadline day, including Stefan Bajcetic, Marcelo Pitaluga, Nat Phillips, Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon.
While Bajcetic and the two wingers are still classified as Under-21s, Phillips and Pitaluga would have needed to be included in Arne Slot's 25-man squad if they had remained at Anfield. This also applies to Owen Beck and Rhys Williams who left on loan earlier in the month, as well as Sepp van den Berg, Fabio Carvalho and Billy Koumetio who completed permanent transfers.
At the beginning of the summer, Liverpool had 14 homegrown players over the age of 21 that required registration in their Premier League and Champions League squads, despite only needing eight to fill a 25-man squad. Following the recent departures, this number has reduced to seven, which includes overage Under-21s player Tom Hill.
Despite making his senior debut for Liverpool under then Under-23s manager Neil Critchley against Aston Villa in the League Cup quarter-finals in December 2019, Hill is yet to make his mark on the first team.
The midfielder might find himself in Slot's Premier League squad this season, even though his chances of playing in the first team are slim. However, it wouldn't be a shock if he is excluded from Liverpool's Champions League squad.
This would mean that Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, Vitezslav Jaros, Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tyler Morton would be Liverpool's six homegrown players for European competition. However, with the exit of some homegrown players, there's a chance for Nyoni to be included in Liverpool's Champions League squad.
Trey Nyoni scored a great goal for Liverpool against Sevilla.
Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni. (Image: Photo by Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Both the 17 year old prodigy and centre-back Amara Nallo are classified as Under-21s players and don't need to be registered for the Premier League squad. But, it's a different story for European competition.
Although they're young enough to be named on 'List B' for underage players, they haven't been at Liverpool long enough to qualify for a spot, having only signed from Leicester City and West Ham United last summer.
This made them ineligible to play in Europe last season. However, with Liverpool potentially leaving two homegrown spots in their Champions League squad, while also not filling their full 17-man quota of permitted overseas players, Slot will have room in his squad to register both players this season if he chooses.
Jurgen Klopp previously had to navigate a minor issue which saw Adrian left out to accommodate both Ryan Gravenberch and Ben Doak last season. However, Liverpool's current squad allows them to easily bypass such UEFA regulations.
Nyoni, who found the net in the pre-season victory over Sevilla, continues to train with the first team on a daily basis. Having only turned 17 in June, he is set to shatter both European and Champions League records for Liverpool if he gets the nod this season.
Phil Charnock holds the record as the Reds' youngest ever player in Europe, being 17 years, seven months and two days old when he was chosen to play against Apollon Limassol in the European Cup Winners Cup in September 1992. Meanwhile, Bajcetic is Liverpool's youngest Champions League debutant, being 17 years, 10 months and 22 days old when he made his first appearance in the competition against Ajax in September 2022.
Trey Nyoni sounds timely message to Arne Slot after Liverpool admission
Nyoni will still be younger than Charnock was in 1992, albeit barely, when the Reds' Champions League group stage campaign concludes away at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday 29 January. As a result, he will break both records if he is selected to play in Europe by Slot this season.
Despite not making the squad for Liverpool's first two Premier League matches against Ipswich Town and Brentford, the teenager is well-positioned to be involved in the League Cup third round against West Ham United next month. With teams allowed to name up to 12 substitutes for European matches, he could feature in several Champions League matchday squads.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool's season will allow the young player some European game time. However, after impressing Slot since the Dutchman's arrival at Anfield, Nyoni is definitely a player to keep an eye on in the coming months.
0 Comments