Liverpool fans will see whether James McConnell is really as good as Arne Slot claims he is next season

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A number of Liverpool youngsters will be given further chances to impress Arne Slot in the coming days as they jet off to the Far East.

The Reds touched down in Hong Kong on Monday morning, where they’ll face AC Milan in a friendly this weekend.

Happily, Slot appears to have limited injury worries, meaning most of the Liverpool squad have travelled, barring Federico Chiesa.

This abundance of availability does mean that chances for Liverpool academy players may be slightly more limited than usual, though, with only the best of the best getting a look in.

One player who might have been expected to make the trip was James McConnell, who has been a regular around the first team over the past two years.

However, McConnell did not board the plane, with journalist Lewis Steele since revealing that the 20-year-old is set to spend the 2025/26 campaign out on-loan. With a first full season of men’s football to come, fans are now about to see just what McConnell is made of.

James McConnell set to head out on loan

Liverpool fans have every reason to be excited over McConnell. He has impressed mightily during his 13 appearances for the senior side.

Slot raved about McConnell after picking him to start in the Champions League loss against PSV Eindhoven in January, and it has felt as though the former Sunderland youngster has been on the boss’ radar ever since.

Unfortunately, a mixture of injuries and top players being ahead of him has meant that McConnell’s chances have been limited.

Although he could have been in and around the squad, that would likely have been the case this season too.

READ MORE: Arne Slot already told Hugo Ekitike what formation he’s going to play him in at Liverpool

As a result, a loan move feels like the best solution. While they won’t watch him every week wherever he ends up, it will give Liverpool fans the chance to see McConnell play regularly.

You don’t always learn as much as you’d like from loans, but in this case, we think a move to a Championship side, or even a Bundesliga club, could give supporters the answers they need on McConnell.

Key season beckons for McConnell

If McConnell can go away, play a full season without injury and do well at a good level, then he may return to Liverpool as a genuine option for the first team.

Slot clearly rates McConnell extremely highly, while the youngster has been deemed ‘special‘ by teammate Lewis Koumas.

Up until now, all we’ve seen of that have been snippets here and there to suggest there’s a real player bursting to get out.

By the end of this season, that could have all changed. It all depends on finding the right loan move.

McConnell will turn 22 not long after the start of next season. Time could be starting to slip away from him at Liverpool if he doesn’t capitalise this term. Thankfully, he could be given the perfect stage to prove Slot right and kick on in the way the boss knows he can.