Ben Woodburn has taken Liverpool by storm, but is he ready for Jurgen Klopp’s first-team?
Philippe Coutinho's exit left fans eyeing a big-name buy but our friends at Football Whispers look at why the Reds instead opted to stop their Welsh whizkid leaving on loan
When Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona at the start of the transfer window, Reds fans would have been forgiven for wanting a big-name replacement.
Long-term Liverpool transfer target Thomas Lemar was one name thrown around, while the possibility of bringing Naby Keita to Anfield six months early was also mooted.
But both ideas have been quashed with Jurgen Klopp looking a little closer to home to find a deputy for the Brazilian schemer.
Teenage attacker Ben Woodburn had been set to join Championship flops Sunderland on loan when Coutinho completed his £142m switch to the Camp Nou.
But Klopp blocked that move when it became apparent Liverpool’s No.10 was off. Now Woodburn looks set to remain at Anfield until the end of the season.
So, is he ready to break into the Reds’ first-team squad? We asked our friends at that very question.
Woodburn had been 17 for just 45 days when he announced himself to the Liverpool faithful by scoring in front of the Kop in an EFL Cup tie against Leeds United in November 2016.
Seventy-two hours earlier the teenage talent had been handed his Premier League debut from the bench, ironically against Sunderland.
But he immediately bettered that by becoming the youngest scorer in the club’s history, beating Michael Owen’s long-standing record by 98 days.
The season finished with a first league start in the 2-1 win away at Stoke City, making him the Reds’ third-youngest starter in the Premier League era behind Owen and Jordon Ibe.
There was also the small matter of his first call-up by Wales, though he didn’t get off the bench against the Republic of Ireland, before being nominated for European Golden Boy award.
It was clear Liverpool had another attacking sensation on their hands. Questions quickly turned to whether Woodburn would make the step up into Klopp’s first-team plans this term.
Heavily involved in pre-season, he has had to be patient since. However, on the international scene Woodburn’s wasted no time making his mark.
Thrown on for his debut in the 69th minute of Wales’ World Cup qualifier against Austria in September, it took five minutes before he arrowed home a 25-yard strike to settle the tie.
A few days later he made another timely intervention, providing the assist for Hal Robson-Kanu to score and set Wales on their way to a late win in Moldova.
It came as little surprise, therefore, when Woodburn was named Wales’ Young Player of the Year three weeks later.
Inevitably, the clamour for Woodburn’s involvement was rising. And Klopp admitted the Chester-born forward was ready to play some part for the Reds in September.
“The most important thing is he’s not just a good footballer but a good, clever person,” said Klopp, who has afforded the forward just 44 minutes of first-team action this season.
“He’s ready for playing in all different teams we have. We give ourselves the freedom to learn with the first team and play wherever we need him.”
Understandably the Liverpool boss is desperate to avoid putting pressure on the teenager.
And he is not alone. Ex-Reds and Wales striker Craig Bellamy believes the Anfield side are doing the right thing by easing him in.
“The club know what they are doing with him,” Bellamy said. “I’m completely fine with their plan for Ben – he’s a kid who is learning his trade, and doing well enough.”
The risk attached to joining Sunderland – where his former Wales coach Chris Coleman is now in charge – is the pressure will be too much.
Facing up to the prospect of consecutive relegations, the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light is toxic and no place for a young player learning his trade.
Question marks about his best position – be it up front or a more withdrawn role – haven’t helped while, inevitably, his decision-making and consistency are in keeping with a player who has just 578 minutes of senior first-team action to his name.
most read in football
What will help his cause, though, is the return of the Champions League next month and Liverpool’s FA Cup involvement. It was in the latter that Woodburn featured most frequently last term.
Supporters love nothing more than seeing a homegrown player bursting onto the scene.
The precedent is already there with Owen, Robbie Fowler and Woodburn’s current Under-19 coach, Steven Gerrard, while Trent Alexander-Arnold has benefitted from Klopp’s faith in youth.
If Woodburn has anything like the same impact that trio did, he will be well on his way to a fine career at Anfield and the decision to keep him at the club will be vindicated.
Keep up to date with ALL the transfer news and gossip on our blog