Liverpool could indirectly be done a favour by UEFA in their pursuits of two reported summer transfer targets.
Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia (19) and Chelsea defender Levi Colwill (20) have both been linked with moves to Anfield, and even with the Reds having minimal wriggle room for non-homegrown berths in their squad for 2023/24, both could conceivably be signed without impacting that situation.
As noted by Liverpool Echo, that duo would qualify as ‘association-trained players’ for Jurgen Klopp’s Europa League roster, having come through academies at English clubs.
UEFA allows teams to name four such players in their squads for European competition, and LFC currently have just two in Jordan Henderson and Nat Phillips.
With the other homegrown players at Anfield all considered ‘club-trained’, having risen through the ranks on Merseyside, these are classified separately, as are youngsters like Harvey Elliott, Stefan Bajcetic and Tyler Morton who’d be eligible for ‘List B’ as they’re still under 21 years of age.
While Lavia and Colwill would fit that age bracket, new signings can’t be considered for inclusion in ‘List B’, but the association-trained route offers a separate filter lane.
The various rules surrounding a player’s eligibility for homegrown status can be complex, especially when they vary between domestic and continental tournaments, but UEFA’s regulations may well help Liverpool in their respective pursuits of Lavia and Colwill.
Even with the former being a full Belgium international, he qualifies as association-trained for the Reds because of his prior involvement with Manchester City’s academy.
That could be crucial for the Merseyside club, considering that they’ve already filled 16 of the permitted 17 non-homegrown berths in their senior squad as it currently stands.
As explained by the Liverpool Echo, Ben Doak would take the final slot for the Europa League as he won’t be eligible for ‘List B’ classification until next year, having only arrived from Celtic 12 months ago.
That could leave Klopp with a dilemma as to whether another non-homegrown signing would force one player out of the European squad or compel the manager to omit the Scottish youngster for continental action.
Such bureaucracy will need to be at the forefront of Liverpool’s thinking when it comes to potential new additions this summer, but at least the fine print of UEFA’s rules offer some much-needed leeway when it comes to trying to sign Lavia and Colwill.