Rhian Brewster scored yet again as Swansea kept their promotion hopes alive with a 3-1 win away to Birmingham City, as Jurgen Klopp plans talks over his future role.
It has been nonstop for Brewster since the Championship resumed play.
There was a brace in his first game back, a free-kick that forced an own goal at Millwall and then another goal last time out against Sheffield Wednesday.
His fine form with the Swans has led to growing calls for a place in the Liverpool squad for next season, with Klopp certainly given food for thought as he approaches the transfer window with caution.
Speaking at a recent press conference, the manager praised Brewster for being able to “show his talent” at the Liberty, describing his loan spell as “nearly perfect.”
“How it will be exactly next year we will talk about with him and his representatives,” he continued, refusing to make any firm commitment over the future of his young striker.
But Klopp will no doubt have erred closer to considering him as backup to Roberto Firmino after the 20-year-old brought his goal tally to eight in 16 games with a brilliant volley on the way to a big victory at Birmingham.
Birmingham had opened the scoring through Lukas Jutkiewicz in the fifth minute, only for Brewster to level seven minutes later from close range.
The goal came from a very similar situation to Curtis Jones‘ first-ever Premier League strike at the weekend, with Connor Roberts heading the ball down at the far post for the waiting Brewster to hammer home from 10 yards out.
He had already gone close with a towering header not long before, but this was an emphatic way to boost his reputation even further.
Swansea then added another before the break through Ben Cabango, before making it 3-1 soon after half-time as Jay Fulton bundled home from a corner, sealing a crucial win for the Swans.
Brewster could have had two more, with one chip over Lee Camp finding the back of the net only to be ruled offside, and another attempted lob denied before he was brought off on 82 minutes.
Steve Cooper’s side are now seventh, and just a point off the playoff places with another four games to play—with their next two coming against title challengers Leeds and fifth-placed Nottingham Forest.
Brewster will be relied upon to keep firing his side to victory, while Klopp mulls over how best to nurture his development further.
It could be that if Swansea do return to the Premier League, a prolonged stay in south Wales could suit him best, rather than heading back to Liverpool and be, as Klopp elaborated, “sometimes in the squad and sometimes not.”
But with question marks over Divock Origi‘s long-term future, perhaps Brewster could get enough game time with the champions?
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