On-loan Liverpool youngster Leighton Clarkson has said that he wants to focus on helping Aberdeen to secure qualification for Europe before deciding on where his immediate future lies.
The Dons are currently third in the Premiership and, should they maintain that position and Celtic win the Scottish Cup, they’ll go into the Europa League play-off round for 2023/24.
The 21-year-old’s loan spell at Pittodrie is set to end once the current season concludes, with manager Barry Robson eager to secure the midfielder’s services for another campaign, but the youngster’s focus is fixed solely on the next few days.
Clarkson told Football Scotland: “I just want to get the club into Europe and after that I can start seeing where my future lies. I’m going to be serious, I have not even thought about it.
“I have said to people who have asked me in the street and also the manager. I have enjoyed every minute of being up here. We will see what happens.”
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Having been limited to just three senior appearances for Liverpool and seen his loan spell at Blackburn last season cut short due to a lack of game-time, Clarkson’s career has finally ignited at Aberdeen, where he’s featured 36 times already (Transfermarkt).
A return of five goals and nine assists at Pittodrie has clearly endeared him to Robson, and it’s little wonder why the Dons manager wants him back again for next term.
The 21-year-old doesn’t seem likely to make an imminent breakthrough at Anfield, given his sparsity of games under Jurgen Klopp and the Reds’ much-publicised pursuits of several midfielders for the summer transfer window.
That could prompt incoming sporting director Jorg Schmadtke to either sanction another loan spell away or possibly even a permanent sale, although the first-team boss might want to have a look at Clarkson in pre-season to assess his progress.
If he does end up at Aberdeen again in 2023/24, he could even encounter his parent club in the Europa League. It’s an intriguing prospect indeed, even if he insists that he isn’t looking beyond the remainder of the current campaign.