Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that James McConnell will not go out on loan this month after impressing against PSV Eindhoven.
The Reds slumped to their only defeat in the Champions League this season with PSV deserving the 3-2 win. The match, however, will have given Arne Slot plenty to think about.
The Dutch manager rested 12 senior players for the trip to his home country and while his side lost, Slot seems quite happy with what Liverpool did take from the game.
The most notable takeaway is that McConnell seems to have played his way into Slot’s plans for the rest of the season which means we will almost certainly see him in action again this season.
Arne Slot confirms James McConnell will not leave on loan
Speaking to the media after the game, Slot confirmed that McConnell will stay at the AXA Training Centre and will not be sent out on loan before the transfer window slams shut.
“There’s always a chance in life. And at the moment we have most of our players fit so we will have this discussion tomorrow I think between me and Richard (Hughes) about these players,” Slot explained.
“But there’s definitely one that will not go out on loan: James McConnell. I liked him a lot today. Maybe the end result today would be good for him to go and play (elsewhere) but he is a player who hasn’t played a lot in the last six or seven months as he was injured for a while. He impressed me a lot today.
“He is competitive in the training sessions we had, he is always very competitive. I’m not surprised (by how he played), but you always wonder how you will react at this level.
“James plays and is competitive. He definitely deserves credit for his performance today.”
Slot keeping the Liverpool values going strong
Liverpool have always been known as a club that promotes from within and trusts its young stars. Under Klopp, this was no different and his successor seems to be putting his faith in the club’s values as well.
McConnell is a wonderful talent and after his performance in Holland last night, he will be hoping to make some more important contributions before the season ends.
His stats were quite good given the competitive nature of the game. The 20-year-old registered an 85% pass accuracy, won six ground duels, made four tackles and three interceptions.
If McConnell can work on his ball retention, he may well turn into an extremely well-rounded midfielder.