Liverpool’s summer signing Dominic Solanke has taken a swipe at former club Chelsea by saying that he chose the switch to Anfield since Liverpool are a club that helps youngsters do well. Solanke is regarded as one of the highly-rated youngsters in English football, and it was not a surprise to see him win the player of the tournament award at the recently concluded FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Liverpool have been able to snap him up on a free transfer. Even though we may end up paying a compensation fee to be set by the tribunal, it is likely to be a small change for a highly talented player like Solanke.
Despite his obvious talent, he was never really appreciated at Chelsea. He made a just a single appearance for the senior side. Solanke came through the ranks at Chelsea, but most of his appearances were on loan at Vitesse Arnhem during the 2015-16 season.
The youngster is hoping for a much better turnaround in terms of fortunes at Anfield. He will be aware that manager Jurgen Klopp will have plenty of games to contend with next season. As quoted by the Daily Star, he said:
“Every time I see Liverpool, there’s such a family nature, there’re a lot of young players doing well at the club, so I think it will be a good place for me to develop my career.”
“As a young player, you always want to see the club you’re at pushing young players through.”
“I’m quite good friends with Joe Gomez – I’ve known him since we were young – and obviously Ovie [Ejaria] and Sheyi [Ojo] were with us at the Under-20 World Cup.
“We spoke a bit when we were away, so I’m looking forward to enjoying it with them.
“Liverpool’s got a lot of good young players, so hopefully everyone can play their part.”
Our involvement in the Champions League means that there will be two games per week for most of the season. This should provide Solanke with enough first-team opportunities. It should not be forgotten that the striker is only 19-years old and still has the capability to improve a lot as he goes forward.
Apart from being capable of playing as a centre-forward, Solanke can also play as an attacking midfielder. Standing at 6 ft 1 in, he will be able to provide the physical presence that Liverpool seriously lack when it comes to the forward positions.
Liverpool have had no shortage of youngsters coming through from the academy, but sadly they have not been at the calibre of a Steven Gerrard. However, the current crop of Liverpool youngsters could make a difference. The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ovie Ejaria, and Sheyi Ojo are names who could go on to have a significant impact on the first-team in the near future.
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