The signings of Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling near the end of last season were the sure indication of Liverpool’s policy of youth recruitment. They were willing in both signings to pay top dollar for players who were seen as the most exciting youth prospects in the country. Every leading club from Manchester United to Chelsea were interested in signing them but Liverpool beat the rest to it. Although two of Liverpool’s newest recruits are not held in nearly as high esteem, the signings of Yusuf Mersin from Millwall and Kristoffer Peterson from Savedalens indicate once again Liverpool’s desire to recruit top young talent.

The change of ownership to John W Henry and NESV has meant this youth policy has continued unabated and has no doubt been given extra vigour by NESV’s stated policy of nurturing young talent to counteract the anticipated establishment of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, which would see less clubs splashing out on young players and trying to develop their own from a young age. The signings of Mersin and Peterson would have also seen the first test of the “consensus decision-making” process subscribed to by Henry.

With Damien Comolli only recently established as Director of Football Strategy at the club, I doubt he had much time to scout both players personally and would surely have trusted the judgement of both Chief Scout Eduardo Macia and Liverpool’s scouting team in Scandinavia. The collective decision then to sign the pair would probably have involved Comolli and Roy Hodgson but they must have trusted the scouting network, and perhaps Frank McParland and Pep Segura that these two players have the quality to play for Liverpool Football club.