Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a potential raid on Manchester City for a highly-rated prodigy in the latter’s academy.
The Reds have proven to be quite adept at snapping up underage talents from fellow British clubs, with Harvey Elliott, Ben Gannon-Doak, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha among the prominent examples from recent years.
The teenage recruitment drive has continued over the past few months with the acquisitions of defenders Mor Talla Ndiaye, Noah Adekoya and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, and it seems that Merseyside chiefs now have their eyes on yet another fledgling talent relatively close to home.
On Tuesday afternoon, Liverpool academy reporter Lewis Bower took to X to outline that the Reds are ‘admirers’ of Man City underage midfielder Xavier Parker and ‘have been monitoring his situation’.
The journalist is ‘led to believe’ that ‘a move is possible and could happen’ for the England under-16 international, having earlier posted that there’s expected to be a ‘rotation in personnel’ among LFC’s academy and those of the two big Manchester clubs.
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Man City’s official website describes Parker – who turned 16 a month ago – as a ‘dynamic, attack-minded midfielder’ who joined from West Ham’s academy in 2024 and ‘will look to use his attacking capabilities to add goals’.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout cited the teenager’s technique, ball control, movement, courage, first touch, athleticism and agiliy as his standout attributes, with journalist Bence Bocsak describing him as a ‘good ball carrier’ who’s adept at link-up play and ‘can play in a number of different roles in midfield and attack’.
Considering Liverpool’s recent history of snapping up prodigious talents from UK academies, it wouldn’t surprise us if they pulled off a move for the 16-year-old Londoner, whose arrival would atone for the seemingly doomed pursuit of positional peer Kennet Eichhorn from Hertha Berlin.
The Athletic‘s Anantaajith Raghuraman wrote that the Reds are expected to continue their ‘recruitment drive’ for precocious youngsters under the age of 18, and a potential swoop for Parker would align with that apparent strategy.
For now it seems to be nothing more than exploratory interest from LFC in the Man City starlet, but this could well be a story to follow closely as the summer progresses.
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