Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock admits he is interested in signing Nathaniel Clyne during the January transfer window.
The Liverpool right-back has only managed one senior appearance so far this season, playing 90 minutes in September’s League Cup defeat to Chelsea.
His lack of game time has stemmed from not only niggling injuries, but also the impressive form of first choice Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Clyne’s slow start to the campaign follows on from an injury-stricken 2017/2018 term in which he featured just five times for the Reds.
Warnock has openly named the Englishman as a target, but concedes it could be incredibly tough to lure him away from Merseyside mid-way through the season.
“I know Nathaniel,” her said, per Wales Online. “I gave him his debut, a lovely lad and I know his mother well she is a wonderful woman.”
“The thing about that is they’ve [Liverpool] had a lot of injuries, they are in European competition, the league and they’ve got to look after themselves. So at the moment it’s very difficult to get anybody to commit to letting us have one for definite – 100 per cent.”
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He added: “He’d be one on our list definitely yes, we’re looking for that position but at the moment they have other problems.”
Injury problems for Jurgen Klopp’s side have increased the chances of Clyne being retained beyond the winter window for the benefit of the club’s strength in depth.
The absence of both Joe Gomez and Alexander-Arnold has left James Milner as the likely candidate to step in at right-back when Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
Though Clyne is available for selection again, he remains someway off full match fitness and is unlikely to be ready to start.
That said, for Klopp to have him at his disposal again over the next month would be a welcomed bonus as he seeks opportunities to preserve his players by rotating his team.
It is a chance for the 27-year-old to play a vital role in Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge.