The shortage of Liverpool transfer news in the early stages of this summer has resulted in the signing of 15-year-old Alvin Ayman receiving far more coverage than it otherwise might have.
The Reds are understood to be closing in on a deal worth in the region of £1.5 million for the teenager, who will leave Wolves just a year after joining them from Bradford City.
Admittedly, it is not the sort of acquisition that tends to get fans’ pulses racing, particularly when there is a desire to see gaps in the squad plugged with first-team-ready stars.
But Ayman’s signing forms part of a transfer policy that has proven extremely fruitful for Liverpool of late, and so should not be dismissed as insignificant.
Once his arrival is confirmed, the young defender will join a long list of promising youngsters secured from fellow English clubs in the last few years.
Significant shift
This laser focus on domestic talent has its roots in Brexit and the fact that starlets from across Europe could no longer be secured prior to turning 18.
Previously, the Reds had scoured the continent to pick up the likes of Ki-Jana Hoever, Pedro Chirivella and Mateusz Musialowski with the express aim of using the academy as a finishing school to bring them into the first team.
In fact, the last of those signings might just prove to be the best, with the hugely promising Stefan Bajcetic having joined from Celta Vigo just days before the UK’s exit from the European Union was finally signed off.
However, after that pool of talent was blocked off by fresh regulations, the need to find future stars closer to home became more pressing.
And the success of that subsequent shift in emphasis was firmly underlined by a number of breakthroughs in the latter part of Jurgen Klopp‘s reign.
Take, for example, Bobby Clark, who arrived from Newcastle as a 16-year-old and went on to make 12 appearances in all competitions last season.
James McConnell joined from Sunderland at a similar age and counted a hugely influential League Cup final cameo among his nine outings last term.
Kaide Gordon, meanwhile, added three more senior games to his tally of seven since coming in from Derby County at the age of 16.
The hope is that more will follow that path, with Trey Nyoni having already debuted in his first season on Merseyside following a summer move from Leicester City.
The talented midfielder only turns 17 this month, and is in line to sign his first professional contract as a result.
There are high hopes, too, for recent acquisition Amara Nallo, who arrived in the same summer from West Ham United.
So, while Ayman might not be the marquee signing of Arne Slot‘s first window, there is every chance he proves just as important as those who join alongside him.
And, if the evidence provided by a slew of recent academy graduates is anything to go by, it might not be too long until he is seen in first-team action.
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