Liverpool pundits divided over academy star making transfer return to Anfield

Former Liverpool academy graduate Harry Wilson has been linked with a return to Anfield, with the Fulham winger's contract set to expire at the end of the season, as pundits debate whether he should make the move

Harry Wilson is mobbed by his Fulham teammates(Image: Getty Images)

It seems that Liverpool is set for a subdued transfer window.

Despite significant injuries to Alexander Isak and Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni before them, early indications from Anfield suggest the Reds won't be opening their wallets this month.

Of course, this could change if an opportunistic deal for a long-term target arises, like the cases of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo who were both secured in the January window, or if, hypothetically, Manchester City was to pursue Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, whom Liverpool aims to convince to make the switch to Merseyside when he becomes a free agent in the summer.

Another player whose contract expires at season's end and has been linked with the Reds is academy product Harry Wilson. The Fulham winger is having the best season of his career, netting seven goals in the Premier League so far, including the first goal in this month's 2-2 draw with the Reds at Craven Cottage, and providing four assists.

There's yet to be any confirmation on whether Liverpool is indeed keen on bringing Wilson back to the fold, who joined the club at the tender age of eight and stayed until his permanent move to Fulham in the summer of 2021.

But that hasn't prevented speculation from building and pundits from debating the prospect of the Wales international making a free transfer return to Anfield. Danny Murphy, who played for both the Reds and Fulham, reckons Wilson should remain where he is.

Wilson started his career at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

"Harry Wilson is a wonderful example of football intelligence because he's not the quickest, biggest, or strongest, but he finds brilliant positions, and his awareness and the pictures he sees around him are wonderful to watch," Murphy told BOYLE Sports who offer the latest football odds.

"He's as good a finisher as there is out there. He's a brilliant finisher and deserves lots of credit for the way he's kept his head down and got himself into the team and is producing the levels he is.

"I was thinking about his predicament, and the reality is you have to ask yourself as a player: 'What level can I get to, and what team can I play in that's realistic?' Do you want to play every week, or are you happy to be a squad member? Harry Wilson as a squad player at one of the bigger clubs would probably be realistic, someone would take him because of his goalscoring ability. The thing is, he's in his late 20s now and looks like he's really enjoying his football.

"I think the best place for him is where he's at because he's going to play every week and is loved by the fans. If you move somewhere else, the grass isn't always greener. The other thing he's got now is a wonderful opportunity to monetise his situation because he's going to be on a free. Fulham will end up having to give him the type of contract they were never going to give him because of this run of form. If they don't, he's going to have options.

"The difficulty is, if he wants to go to a better team than Fulham and has that opportunity, the reality is he's not going to play every week. So it's a balancing act for him.

"It's easy for me to say because I've finished my career now, but if I were him, I'd be thinking: 'I'm enjoying my football, I'm playing every week, I'm adored by the fans. If the club look after me financially now, I'll stay,' because I wouldn't want to go to a bigger club and not play every week, and I don't think he would either."

Harry Wilson dividing opinion

Wilson made just two first-team appearances for Liverpool, having been loaned out to six different clubs, including Fulham. He joined Fulham on a permanent basis for £12 million ($16 million) during the summer of 2022. His value has soared since then, which is why he'll be hot property at the end of the season if he doesn't sign a new deal with the Cottagers.

Sam Allardyce, the former manager of Everton, West Ham, and Bolton, suggests that Liverpool should be interested, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding Mohamed Salah's long-term future.

"I won't be surprised if he's already getting calls from other clubs already," said Allardyce on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, in partnership with BOYLE Sports. "No doubt about that. Especially when he's free.

"He's experienced Liverpool, and they ended up moving him on, so to go back to a bigger club than Fulham, returning to Liverpool for example, it'll be great to see if he can translate that high-quality of play into that team. With better players, he should get even more support and be even better. It's whether he can handle the pressure of the bigger club."