Liverpool open to Harvey Blair sale amid Arne Slot academy exodus – report
Liverpool are open to the possibility of selling youth winger Harvey Blair, according to David Lynch.
Writing on his Substack [18 August], the journalist reported that the Reds will sanction a permanent sale for the winger if a suitable offer arrives.
The 20-year-old has been attracting interest from Championship side Portsmouth, as well as League One Reading, and could be set to leave Anfield this summer.
Blair, who impressed Arne Slot throughout pre-season, was touted for a loan move this summer but has joined the long list of academy prospects deemed surplus to requirements.
Will Liverpool sell Harvey Blair?
Slot, alongside sporting director Richard Hughes, is finally putting his stamp on his inherited squad.
Liverpool supporters are rightfully confused with the new approach. Last season, all the focus was on the exuding talent at the AXA Training Centre and now all those promising young stars are free to leave Anfield on permanent deals.
Bobby Clark will soon link up with Pepijn Lijnders at RB Salzburg in a £10m deal [BBC Sport] and Ben Doak, who would have featured for Scotland at Euro 2024 at 18 had he not suffered a long-term injury, is also exploring a permanent exit from the Reds [DaveOCKOP].
Fenway Sports Group has always operated on a positive net spend in the transfer window and, despite the club’s riches, operates on a sell-to-buy approach in the transfer market.
Surely, a club the size of Liverpool doesn’t have to depend on this many potential player sales to improve the squad this summer.
On paper, this strategy makes no sense. The players in question were good enough to play first-team football under Jurgen Klopp so how, in the space of a few months, have they all regressed to the point their services are no longer required?
The Plan for Liverpool?
The only optimistic standpoint is that the Reds are planning a massive move this summer that requires all the financial firepower they can muster but that is a stretch.
The more realistic and likely reason is that with all the senior players back to fitness, there is no opportunity to grow in the first team, and as some approach their early twenties have reached their ceiling with the club.
Liverpool have gone from a group of exciting young talent at the academy to one of the biggest overhauls in only a few months.
For now, it is unclear what the plan behind this sudden exodus will be. All that Liverpool fans can do is trust that the club is being steered in the right direction.
In other Liverpool news, a 50% dud was the weak link v Ipswich, with Gary Neville backing Arne Slot’s decision.
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