Taiwo Awoniyi to finally get his Liverpool chance with work permit approval

Add as preferred source on Google

Taiwo Awoniyi can finally get his chance with Liverpool after a work permit approval. The forward has been on the books for six years.

The Liverpool Echo reports that Taiwo Awoniyi finally has an English work permit. It’s been a long time coming.

Awoniyi actually predates Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. He arrived back in August 2015 for £400k, per the Guardian, having impressed as a teenager in Nigeria to earn the move.

But nearly six years later, Awoniyi hasn’t played once for Liverpool. He’s never had a chance to, either, given he couldn’t secure a work permit.

The result is seven different loans across four leagues in three countries. Awoniyi has been about a bit in order to establish himself.

The first loan was to FSV Frankfurt in 2. Bundesliga, immediately after his arrival at Liverpool. Awoniyi was then at NEC in the Eredivisie the following season before three spells with teams in Belgium’s top flight.

The last of those, at Mouscron, saw him score seven times in nine games, significantly boosting his reputation. And that meant Bundesliga sides wanted a look at Awoniyi – first Mainz 05 and then Union Berlin this season.

Five Bundesliga goals over this campaign were enough to convince the UK that a work permit was justified. Now Awoniyi, nearly six years later, can finally try a career in England.

Taiwo Awoniyi, Liverpool player

The Echo’s report claims Awoniyi will spend the first part of pre-season with Liverpool. They’ll decided what to do from there but they don’t plan on selling the player.

There’s an £8m asking-price is anyone does want to meet it but the Reds won’t actively seek-out buyers. Instead, it feels like a loan is in the offing.

The Echo believes several English clubs are already getting in touch to see what it would take to get Awoniyi next season. We imagine Liverpool will be eager to listen.

So does Awoniyi have a Liverpool future? It’s hard to tell. He’s still only 23, so the potential is certainly there but he’s had such a difficult career thus far.

Awoniyi has never played in a settled environment and is yet to see a clear future for himself. That makes both development and performance tough for any player.

Not to mention that none of these loan clubs had a vested interest in his development. They knew they’d lose him at the end of each season.

Hopefully, this work permit can fix that.

A decent loan in England could prove the making of Awoniyi, allowing Liverpool a proper look at him in this country. From there, they can outline a proper development plan that’s based around more than earning a work permit.

If Awoniyi can score consistently at a decent level, perhaps Liverpool give him a go down the line. All we know for sure is that it’s finally an option after a six-year wait.