Liverpool starlet George Johnston has emerged as a pawn in a heated five-team transfer tug of war this summer, according to the Daily Mirror.
The newspaper revealed the news on their transfer centre [13/07; 20:52], claiming that a host of second tier sides are looking to take him out on loan next season.
The 20-year-old is said to have impressed Jurgen Klopp with his performance in the Reds’ 6-0 friendly win over Tranmere Rovers on Thursday.
And now West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End, Hull City, Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers are vying for the youngster, who is yet to spend any time away from Anfield.
OPINION
Clearly this is a young man who is in very high demand indeed. Johnston looked good on Thursday, and he is certainly a name to keep an eye on at Liverpool moving forward. The first loan move away is always an important one, but we’ve seen the benefits that these temporary spells can have for young players. The likes of Harry Wilson, Ryan Kent and Marko Grujic, to name just three Reds stats, improved immensely from stint elsewhere last term. If Johnston can enjoy anywhere near the success they experienced next time out then he’ll be an extremely happy boy. Obviously there are a fair few teams in for him, and so it’s up to Klopp and the team at Melwood to decide which side is the best one for Johnston at this stage of his career. You wonder whether West Brom, with their obvious ambition to return to the Premier League under Slaven Bilic, may be too big a step at the moment. One of the other four, with their slightly more modest aims for next season, might be a better fit for a young man in Johnston who is about to embark on his first loan spell.
