The 17 Liverpool players out on loan in 2023-24 and how they’ve been faring
Liverpool have a huge wealth of talent at their disposal, meaning a good chunk of their squad are spending the 2023-24 campaign elsewhere.
With one of the best squads in world football, Jurgen Klopp has trimmed down his options by sending 17 players out on loan. While some will use their experiences to break into the first-team squad at Anfield, others have slightly less bright prospects.
We’ve looked into all of those sent out on loan from Liverpool and assessed how they have done in the 2023-24 season so far.
Calvin Ramsay
After signing for Liverpool from Aberdeen last summer, Ramsay made just two cup appearances before being ruled out for the season following surgery.
His injury woes have continued after joining Preston on a season-long loan. Despite the Lancashire club surprisingly setting the pace in the Championship, the Scotland international is yet to make an appearance because of problems with his knee.
“He’s still out and probably will be for another couple of months,” Preston boss Ryan Lowe said recently. “At the moment he’s back at Liverpool doing his rehab there.
“When he’s fit and ready, he’ll be back with us.”
Fabio Carvalho
Arguably the most high-profile of Liverpool’s loanees, Carvalho was unable to sustain his fast start to life at Anfield and found opportunities increasingly hard to come by as last season progressed.
He’s spending this year at RB Leipzig and made his debut for the German side in their Super Cup victory over Bayern Munich. The forward has made three Bundesliga appearances, including a start in the victory at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Surprisingly, Carvalho admitted he’s not on speaking terms with Klopp and is viewing his year in Germany as an opportunity to stand on his own two feet.
“I don’t really speak to him, to be fair,” he said in August. “He didn’t really give me any advice. I just had to learn as I go, and I feel that is better for me to mature anyway.”
Rhys Williams
After three successive loan spells at Kidderminster, Swansea, and Blackpool, Williams is hoping to enjoy another one in Scotland with Aberdeen.
But he’s yet to play this season after suffering a string of injury niggles.
“He’s actually rolled his ankle,” Aberdeen boss Barry Robson told the Press and Journal. “He keeps getting niggle after niggle, where he’s just getting going and then has to stop again, but he’ll get there.”
Aberdeen are playing in the Europa Conference League this season, which would be an invaluable experience for the young defender if he regains his fitness.
Harvey Davies
Davies has played in all but one of Crewe’s matches this season and was the hero of his side’s EFL League Cup win at Sunderland last month.
He saved a crucial penalty to ensure the League Two side won the shoot-out. Aged just 20, there’s clearly plenty of promise there.
Owen Beck
Beck has been an ever-present for Dundee since his loan move this summer, playing in all nine of their matches since his arrival.
The Welsh left-back has made two League Cup appearances for the Reds and will be hoping to attract Klopp’s attention with his performances north of the border.
Sepp van den Berg
After spending last season on loan at Mainz and making nine Bundesliga appearances, Van den Berg returned to Klopp’s former club for 2023/24.
He’s played five times, a total that includes four starts, but the 20-year-old defender is yet to taste victory this season.
Anderson Arroyo
Arroyo signed for Liverpool in 2018, but after no league appearances and six loan spells elsewhere, his time at Anfield looked up over the summer.
But the 23-year-old has instead made another temporary switch away from the club, joining FC Andorra. He’s made six appearances for the side currently sitting mid-table in the Spanish second tier.
James Balagizi
After a spell at Crawley Town was cut short by injury last season, Balagizi is now at Wigan.
It’s been anything but easy, with the Latics sitting in the relegation zone after another turbulent summer, but the 19-year-old midfielder has impressed in flashes during his early appearances.
“He’s a dynamic player who can assist build from the back with his passing abilities,” one scout noted last season during Balagizi’s time at Grimsby Town.
“He can push his team ahead with strong surging runs with the ball if he is played as an eight. He can be a great menace in the box as a ten.
“His play is identical to Yaya Toure’s, even down to how he covers his hands with his sleeves while playing, and he has a languid, fluid running style.”
Woah, this guy sounds incredible. One to watch.
Dominic Corness
Corness is yet to start a Swiss Super League game this season, but he was involved in an impressive victory for Yverdon Sport last weekend.
The English midfielder played the last 15 minutes as his team beat FC Basel, Mohamed Salah’s former side, 3-2.
After captaining Liverpool’s U21s last season, and the U19s in the UEFA Youth League, Corness featured for the senior team during the winter trip to Dubai and is clearly well thought of at Anfield.
Adam Lewis
Lewis enjoyed a productive loan spell at Newport County last season and has returned there for the 2023-24 campaign.
The boyhood Liverpool fan has made 10 appearances for the League Two side so far, scoring once, as the Welsh outfit sit mid-table after the opening two months of the season.
Jakub Ojrzynski
From Caernarfon Town to Radomiak Radom and now to Den Bosch, Ojrzynski has been given varied experience since joining Liverpool from Legia Warsaw in 2020.
But the 20-year-old Polish goalkeeper is yet to displace No. 1 keeper Joey Roggeveen so far. His only appearance came in a 3-1 defeat to SC Cambuur in early September.
Luke Hewitson
Hewitson has been playing regular football in the Northern Premier West League this season.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper made his debut for Stalybridge Celtic in their FA Cup 3-2 win at Runcorn Linnets, and has retained his place as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper in the league matches that followed.
It might only be the eighth tier of English football, but Hewitson is getting valuable experience of first-team football before his return to Liverpool in January.
Billy Koumetio
Koumetio is back in France this season with Ligue 2 outfit USL Dunkerque.
The 20-year-old was sent off on his debut against Grenoble this month, providing further evidence to those who believe his concentration issues undermine his clear physical and technical attributes.
But Klopp has tipped him for a big future in the game and will hope to see evidence of his prediction coming true soon.
Nathaniel Phillips
A cult hero for his role in securing Champions League qualification in 2021, and that turn at the San Siro, Phillips has been surplus to requirements at Anfield for a while.
But the defender was only able to secure a short-term loan to Celtic and will be back at Liverpool in January.
“When I heard about the interest it was one that got me excited,” Phillips told Celtic TV.
“There were a few other options that didn’t quite make me feel the same as this one did, so I was really keen to get it over the line and I’m delighted to be here now.
“It’s such a huge club, the club’s aspirations, the level it competes at, the fact that they’re in the Champions League this year and the mentality of the club – they want to be winners in everything they do.”
He’s made just one appearance for the Scottish champions so far.
James Norris
Norris has two cup appearances for the Reds and sealed a deadline-day switch to neighbours Tranmere.
“I’ve known James for a long time from when I worked at Liverpool with the younger age groups,” manager Ian Dawes said. “He suits the mentality, he works hard, he competes, he runs, he’s tenacious, always all in.”
Sadly, Dawes was sacked by the League Two outfit soon after Norris made his debut and the defender has yet to play since.
Luca Stephenson
Like Norris, Stephenson has also moved to a League Two side; he has joined Barrow until the end of the 2023-24 season.
Barrow boss Pete Wild detailed what fans can expect from the 20-year-old when he is given his chance to shine in the first team.
“Luca is an athletic, combative midfielder, really good on the ball, tidies the ball up, plays forward with his passing, and gets stuck in,” he said.
“He has got a lot of experience on young shoulders and that really appealed to us because when we take loans, they have to be ready for men’s football and we firmly believed he was ready.
“There were conversations with Liverpool, and we have a good relationship with Liverpool, and it was a deal that in my eyes was a no-brainer.”
Tyler Morton
After excelling at Blackburn last year, making 40 appearances and almost reaching the Championship play-offs, Morton is back in the second tier with Hull City.
He’s already provided two assists for Liam Rosenior’s side, including one on his first start in a 3-1 win at Stoke. Keep an eye on Morton as many believe he has a chance of forcing his way into Klopp’s first-team plans.
