OPINION
Liverpool have one of the most developed and sophisticated loan systems in the Premier League, with the Reds known to be extremely particular about where their youngsters end up.
In most cases this system is highly beneficial for Liverpool loanees, with the success of players like Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Kent at Rangers illustrating that this season.
However, the one player who has stood head and shoulders above anyone else this season is winger Harry Wilson, who is tearing up the Championship under Frank Lampard at Derby County.
The Wales international has scored eight goals and laid on two assists in 18 games in all competitions for the Rams this term, who are in contention for promotion to the Premier League.
And, unsurprisingly, it has now been confirmed by Lampard that Liverpool have the option of recalling the 21-year-old from his spell in the Midlands in January.
“There is an element where Liverpool can call him back in early January. That is a conversation between the clubs,” Lampard told Derbyshire Live.
Obviously Derby are extremely keen on keeping Wilson around until the end of the season, but there will be those at Liverpool who would like to see the youngster brought back.
Unfortunately for them that would be a horrible decision, and one which they would no doubt come to regret in the months following his recall.
Wilson is currently in the form of his life, proving to himself and others that he can more than handle the rigours of the second tier of English football.
That is a brilliant position for him to be in at 21 years old, but that does not mean that he would be able to come back to Liverpool and recreate that form on Merseyside.
Is it realistic to suggest that he can compete with players like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane for game time at Anfield? No, unfortunately it is not.
And because of that, he would spend the rest of the season rotting away on the bench for Liverpool, when he could be continuing his rapid development under Lampard at Derby.
It is pretty clear that a recall in January would be an unforgivable error on Liverpool’s part, and these conversations must come to an end as soon as possible.
