Caoimhe O’Neill has advocated for Liverpool to sanction a loan move elsewhere for Bobby Clark for the 2023/24 season.
The 18-year-old made a couple of first-team appearances last term (Transfermarkt) and has shown signs of great potential, but it may still be a bit soon for him to push for regular senior contention unless he enjoys a standout pre-season.
The Reds have already loaned out several youngsters over the summer, with the likes of Fabio Carvalho, Rhys Williams and Calvin Ramsay temporarily exiting Anfield, and The Athletic reporter has called for the Newcastle native to be granted a move as well.
Speaking on Expert Insight for The Redmen TV, O’Neill said of Clark: “As soon as you watched him play you could say there’s a real talent. There are certain players that do carry that [swagger] with them onto the pitch and I think Ben Doak being one and Bobby Clark is another.
“Centre-midfielder, attacking midfielder, he can kind of just drop in and let run around the pitch. Maybe a loan move is the right thing for him. Even if a loan move doesn’t go well, it can still be a good experience.
“It will be interesting to see whether keeping him at the academy [would be the right call]. For Clark, a way to get higher up on the ladder would be to make that loan move.”
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We’ve seen over the last two to three years how the right loan move can greatly benefit players at Liverpool, with Blackburn proving to be a particularly fruitful destination.
Harvey Elliott was nominated for EFL Young Player of the Season in 2020/21 for his performances at Ewood Park, with the 20-year-old now a regular at Anfield after enjoying 46 appearances for the Reds last term (Transfermarkt).
That’s the same number of matches Tyler Morton played during his loan spell at Rovers in 2022/23 (Transfermarkt), and buoyed by that experience, he could well be a man to watch in pre-season with his club over the next month.
Whether Blackburn would be interested in taking Clark on loan for the upcoming campaign is unclear, but those two examples show how a temporary move to a Championship club could work wonders for young players attempting to make a long-term breakthrough at Liverpool.
Don’t be surprised if someone from the second tier approaches the Anfield hierarchy in the coming weeks to enquire about temporarily acquiring the services of the 18-year-old.
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