Though they have made just one new signing this summer, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are expected to sell a few fringe players before the start of the new season and Rhian Brewster is also reportedly up for grabs.
Reports from Sky Sports claim that The Reds are open to selling the 20-year-old for around £20million, with a buy-back clause.
The Golden Boot winner from the Under-17 World Cup a couple of years ago, Brewster has failed to break into the first team at Anfield and spent the last half of the previous season on loan at Swansea City to decent effect.
But can Liverpool afford to lose him this summer?
Interest In Rhian Brewster
Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Brighton and Sheffield United have all already enquired about the availability of the Liverpool man, thanks to his impact at Swansea City in the second half of last season.
Jurgen Klopp has already lauded Brewster’s temperament and football intelligence and the fact that Liverpool are keen to insert a buy-back clause shows that they rate him highly.
So it is no surprise that Brewster’s stint of 11 goals in 12 Championship starts for Swansea City is attracting interest from many clubs in the Premier League.
Selling Brewster – The Right Decision?
However, the buy-back clause also gives the hint that Rhian Brewster is not ready for regular top-flight football for the immediate season. He has been unlucky with injuries, and needs more regular football to develop.
The Reds have Roberto Firmino leading the line while Divock Origi has been an effective backup for over a couple of years now. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were also used as strikers in certain games but at the moment, Liverpool do not have a striker in their ranks apart from the Belgian.
Brewster is probably the most natural finisher at the club, as he showed in the recent friendly against Salzburg, scoring twice in a game where the Reds struggled to create chances.
He is a natural finisher, who is calm and composed with the ball at his feet, even under pressure. He is happy to run the lines, is technically sound and usually makes the right decisions in front of goal.
Build-up play is not his biggest strength so it is hard to see the youngster replace Firmino in the first team in the long run. And with the emergence of Takumi Minamino, who also impressed in the pre-season, Brewster might fall further down the pecking order.
So it is best for all parties that the youngster moves away from Anfield and gets regular game time under his belt, to help him realise his potential, rather than play in cup games for Liverpool. And at 20, gaining experience will also be crucial for his development as he could always return to Liverpool as a more well-rounded striker.
The buy-back clause makes letting him go a bit easier for the Reds but do you think he can be effective in the first team at Anfield next season?