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Liverpool has agreed a transfer deal for the 17-year-old Salford City forward Will Wright, who is set to undergo a medical ahead of a switch to Merseyside.
Arsenal had also been in for the player, who has been a prolific scorer throughout his teenage years, but Wright preferred to remain in the North West, and was also impressed by Liverpool's pitch. The deal is understood to be worth around $266k (£200k) initially, with add-ons potentially to come on top.
Wright will play for Liverpool's U21s side when he arrives in Kirkby. The team will be managed by the former Wales boss Rob Page for the upcoming 2025/26 campaign onward after he replaced Barry Lewtas this summer.
It is understood that while the Gunners offered more money in both a transfer fee and salary, Liverpool has emerged as the player's preference. He feels that now is the right time to take the next step in his career.
Wight made his Salford City debut in January when he played in the FA Cup tie against Manchester City. He has also made two senior league appearances for the club.
There has been plenty of change at youth level for Liverpool this summer. Simon Wiles could become U18s boss to replace Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, while Page has already been confirmed as U21s coach.
"Rob brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to a key role as young players look to bridge that gap from academy prospect to first-team footballers," academy director Alex Inglethorpe said.
"His recent achievements in guiding Wales to the last 16 at Euro 2020 before qualifying for the 2022 World Cup speak for themselves.
"But perhaps less heralded is the work that took place during his time in charge of the national team, which saw numerous pathway players make it into the senior squad.
"This is something we have seen first-hand at Liverpool with several of our academy players making significant progress on the international stage under Rob's guidance."
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Page, 50, led his country to a first World Cup in 64 years in 2022 after guiding them to the second round of Euro 2020. However, he was fired in June 2024 by after failing to qualify for Euro 2024.
During his playing career, Page captained Wales and won 41 caps in total. He took charge of the senior national team after impressing as Wales Under-21 coach, while he has also coached at Port Vale and Northampton Town.
Liverpool U21s are set to begin the new season in August. The fixture list is still to be confirmed at this stage.
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