Liverpool makes decision on James McConnell future after missing pre-season tour

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Liverpool youngster James McConnell is set to leave the club on a season-long loan, but he is expected to sign a long-term contract with the Reds before doing so.

There is interest in McConnell from Championship clubs Ipswich, West Brom and Derby, while the Daily Mail says a loan move to the Bundesliga is also on the cards.

McConnell was absent from the group that flew to Hong Kong for the start of Liverpool's pre-season tour of Asia on Sunday, but that is because he is currently nursing a minor injury.

Arne Slot is a fan of McConnell, praising him after the youngster impressed in a Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven last season. “I like him a lot," Slot said. "He impressed me. If I was surprised, it would mean in training sessions he wouldn’t be able to play at this level, and that’s not true because he is competitive with the ones we have.

“So I’m not surprised, but you always wonder how they will react on this stage, at this level. We saw the same with Amara Nallo, but he does not have the same impact in training sessions as McConnell. The way James plays is not a surprise, but he definitely deserves credit for his performance today.”

As well as McConnell, Liverpool has decisions to make on several other youngsters. There could be money to be made with the sales of players like Ben Doak and Tyler Morton, with both players probably now at the stage of their careers when they should be looking to move on permanently.

There are also calls to be made on Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha. Ngumoha is still just 16 so his development is likely to continue in the Reds' academy, but Liverpool might consider whether to send Nyoni, 18, out on loan.

Decisions could also be taken on Jayden Danns and Stefan Bajcetic, both of whom were not included in Slot's squad for the two-game pre-season tour of Asia.

In terms of the senior squad, Liverpool has raised funds with the sales of Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher, but the big-ticket for-sale players remain on Merseyside, with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott still on the Reds' books.

Nunez seems like the most likely player to leave, amid the impending arrival of Hugo Ekitike, while Diaz is clearly keen to move on amid interest from Bayern Munich.

Elliott's lack of game time last season led to him considering his future on Merseyside, and the writing appears to be on the wall for him following the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz. Federico Chiesa is another player who could exit.

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