Liverpool have seen young striker Ranel Young – who was twice involved in the first team under Arne Slot – make a surprise move to Serbia this summer.
Young made the bench for the 3-2 win away to Brighton in the Carabao Cup in October and again in the 1-0 loss to Plymouth in the FA Cup in February.
But the 19-year-old was one of 15 academy players who went into the summer uncertain over his contract on Merseyside.
Though Liverpool offered Young a new deal, he opted to reject it and has now made a shock switch to the Serbian second tier.
FK Usce, the Belgrade side who won the third division in 2024/25, officially announced the signing on Friday morning.
Young joins ahead of their opening game of the Serbian First League campaign against FK Kabel next week and is expected to take up a key role leading the line.
It is certainly a move out of the left-field and the youngster would no doubt have received offers from elsewhere in the English football pyramid.
But joining FK Usce should give him the opportunity of a regular first-team role already, while others released such as Louis Enahoro-Marcus (Leeds) and Harry Evers (Sheffield Wednesday) have joined other academies.
He is the fifth player to leave Liverpool’s youth ranks and find another club so far this summer, with Dominic Corness (The New Saints) and Jakub Ojrzynski (Orebro SK) also signing deals elsewhere.
Liverpool have agreed extensions with at least six of the eight youth talents they offered new deals ahead of the expiry of their previous terms this summer.
Wellity Lucky, Terence Miles, Emmanuel Airoboma, Michael Laffey, Kareem Ahmed and Keyrol Figueroa have all penned fresh terms, while it is unclear at this stage whether midfielder Kyle Kelly has followed suit.
Young joined the Reds from Huddersfield as an U12s player and went on to become a regular fixture of the U21s last season.
He did so having been converted from a winger to a role as a No. 9, which proved successful as he developed impressively in a central area.
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