Arne Slot’s Sunday Decision Could Offer Clues About Liverpool Duo’s January Future
Liverpool manager Arne Slot took advantage of his team’s commanding 4-0 lead over West Ham on Sunday to make tactical substitutions, focusing on the long-term. By the 57th minute, he had substituted Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo to avoid either player receiving a yellow card, which would have ruled them out of next week’s match against Manchester United.
Later, with 16 minutes left, Harvey Elliott and Kostas Tsimikas entered the game, following an earlier injury substitution where Joe Gomez was replaced by Jarell Quansah. Despite the comfortable scoreline, some fans were surprised that Slot didn’t give playing time to youngsters Jayden Danns or James McConnell, who were both on the bench but have yet to make a Premier League appearance this season.
With key players like Dominik Szoboszlai (suspended), Federico Chiesa (rested), and injured duo Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate unavailable, there was space for the younger players in the matchday squad. However, Slot chose not to introduce them, even with the match effectively decided early on.
This decision could indicate Liverpool’s plans for the pair in January. The Athletic reports that the club is considering loaning out Danns and McConnell in the upcoming transfer window, believing that regular first-team football at a suitable club could help their development. Though both players were initially set to go out on loan in the summer, injuries disrupted those plans. Since then, they have mainly played at the under-21 level, with their only first-team experience coming in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton.
Slot’s cautious approach may be designed to avoid exposing the young players to injury, potentially jeopardizing a future loan move that could further their progress.
The successful loans of Ben Doak and Lewis Koumas to Middlesbrough and Stoke City this season highlight how beneficial the right move can be for young talent. Given Liverpool’s squad depth, it seems increasingly likely that Danns and McConnell could be loaned out in January, with Sunday’s game potentially signaling a strategy to protect them for those opportunities.
