Breaking into the Liverpool squad is a tough task under Jurgen Klopp and contrasting week for two centre-backs just proved it
It has been a contrasting few days for two young Liverpool centre-backs. And their experiences underline the challenge facing players emerging from the Academy under Jurgen Klopp.
Two days later, another 20-year-old Liverpool defender was in the news. But rather than further development with Klopp's squad, Billy Koumetio will instead spend the season back in his native France with Ligue 2 newcomers USL Dunkerque.READ MORE: Liverpool transfer latest as Celtic join race to sign in-demand centre-back
Since then, though, the Frenchman has barely been seen around the first team. Koumetio was on the bench for three of the last five Premier League games that season but lasted just 45 minutes of the League Cup quarter-final at home to Leicester City on his next outing in December 2021. He hasn't been in a matchday squad since, and had a difficult loan spell at Austria Vienna ended early last season, spending the second half of the campaign playing regularly back at Liverpool for the U21s.
Of that number, half have played fewer than three times while only nine have managed to make more than 10 appearances, the majority of which are still at the club. Trent Alexander-Arnold is closing on 300 appearances while Curtis Jones is two short of a century, Caoimhin Kelleher has made 21 outings and Stefan Bajcetic will hope to soon improve on his 19 games.
There are others on the books at Liverpool who have made the step up from Academy to first team. Tyler Morton, back in training after a broken foot suffered when on loan at Blackburn Rovers last season, has been called on most by Klopp, with Conor Bradley, Kaide Gordon, Owen Beck, Melkamu Frauendorf, Harvey Blair and James Norris also given game time.
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