Liverpool prospect James McConnell is set to join Ajax on loan for the season after signing a new contract at Anfield.
The highly-rated 20-year-old has signed a new five-year contract with the Reds, reports The Athletic, but has been allowed to go and gain first team experience elsewhere this season.
Interest from Ajax emerged as John Heitinga is now in charge of the Dutch giants after working as Arne Slot’s assistant at Liverpool last season.
The former defender worked with McConnell and feels he can make an impact in the Eredivisie, playing in the same central midfield position as Jordan Henderson, who left Ajax for Brentford this summer.
McConnell has already made 13 senior appearances for Liverpool, including three in the Premier League and one last season in the Champions League.
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The midfielder also came off the bench as the Reds won the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea in 2024.
He started his footballing life in the Sunderland academy but moved to Liverpool at Under-15 level and has been capped by England at Under-20 level.
He will hope to gain plenty of first team experience with Ajax in the Eredivisie and in the Champions League this campaign.
The youngster will then hope to return to compete for game time with Liverpool, with his new contract running until 2030.
After handing him his Champions League debut last season, Arne Slot praised McConnell’s performance against PSV, but was not surprised by his quality.
‘I like him a lot. He impressed me,’ said Slot of McConnell after the 3-2 loss in January.
‘If I was surprised, it would mean in training sessions he wouldn’t be able to play at this level, and that’s not true because he is competitive with the ones we have.
‘So I’m not surprised, but you always wonder how they will react on this stage, at this level. We saw the same with Amara Nallo, but he does not have the same impact in training sessions as McConnell.
‘The way James plays is not a surprise, but he definitely deserves credit for his performance today.’
McConnell joins Jaros at Ajax
Vitezslav Jaros has also joined Ajax on loan from Liverpool this season, with the Czech goalkeeper making the move in June.
He has already made three appearances for the Amsterdam side in the Eredivisie.
The 20-year-old has already experienced playing under Jurgen Klopp and Slot in his young career and commentated on the similarities and differences between them.
‘Maybe there’s more control under the new manager, but as a midfielder, you still have to cover ground, show for the ball, and play forward,’ he told RedMenTV last season.
‘I’m learning from players like Ryan Gravenberch, and I just have to keep watching and improving.’
