Major opening: Liverpool prepare for two January returns as discussions over permanent departure intensify

 

 

Liverpool are set to welcome back two of their young loanees in January, with James McConnell and Owen Beck both expected to return early from their temporary spells.

McConnell has been with Ajax, while Beck headed to Derby County in search of regular senior football. However, game time has been hard to come by – especially for the midfielder. The 21-year-old has featured just seven times in all competitions for the Dutch giants, totalling a mere 219 minutes in a frustrating stint.

Ajax themselves have endured a miserable 2025/26 campaign and currently sit 16 points adrift of Eredivisie leaders PSV. Beck’s experience in the Championship hasn’t been much smoother either. His time at Derby was disrupted by injury, with The Athletic revealing that he required hamstring surgery after picking up a problem during a 40-minute outing against Blackburn Rovers’ U21s.

The same report from James Pearce suggests that another Liverpool left-back, 22-year-old James Norris, could be on the verge of a permanent move to Shelbourne. Norris has impressed in Ireland, already logging 734 minutes across 11 matches.

At Anfield, it appears Liverpool’s long-term plans at left-back are firmly centred around Milos Kerkez. Whether there is room beyond the Hungarian depends on Andy Robertson’s future and the club’s recruitment strategy, especially after Atletico Madrid’s reported interest last summer. For now, it seems unlikely that Beck is being considered for a significant squad role.

McConnell’s situation is more intriguing. Back in January, head coach Arne Slot publicly praised the youngster after a standout Champions League performance against PSV. Since then, though, his progress at Liverpool has stalled. He featured in the FA Cup defeat to Plymouth but made no further senior appearances before heading out on loan.

With Slot keen to limit reliance on Wataru Endo when rotating Ryan Gravenberch, McConnell’s return could present an opportunity. Gravenberch has already had spells of rest – albeit largely enforced through injury and a red card suspension carried over from last season – yet he still ranks fourth in the squad for total minutes played across all competitions.

That workload, combined with Slot’s earlier faith in McConnell, could yet open the door for the young midfielder’s revival at Anfield.