According to the Express, Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke was linked with a loan move to Scottish Premier League club Rangers, with Steven Gerrard making a late bid to land the 20-year-old Englishman. However, the deal did not materialize and Solanke must wait until January.
To make matters worse though, Liverpool Echo has claimed that England’s boss Gareth Southgate is frustrated over Solanke’s lack of play time at Anfield.
A product of Chelsea’s youth system, Solanke shifted his base to Liverpool in 2017 with the hope of getting regular minutes. The youngster played a part in Liverpool’s campaign last season with 27 appearances across all competitions, including 21 in the Premier League and 4 in the Champions League. But most of them were substitute appearances and Solanke hasn’t had enough regular minutes under his belt.
The 20-year-old is yet to make it to the matchday squad of any of Liverpool’s fixtures in the ongoing season. Truth be told, Jurgen Klopp has fearlessly fielded youngsters in his first-team and the German manager is hardly to blame for Solanke’s lack of playing minutes. After all, the likes of Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold have shown a lot of progress under Klopp’s stewardship and the boss has shown plenty of faith in them.
With Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi in the ranks, Solanke currently finds himself as Liverpool’s fourth-choice No.9 and it is unlikely for Klopp to be able to provide him with regular first-team action. As things stand, Sturridge and Origi have found minutes hard to come by and Solanke cannot expect any better.
Liverpool’s lethal and star-studded forward line has continued to flourish this season as well, with Sadio Mane heading the scorer’s list. As a matter of fact, six out their nine goals have come from the front three. Mohamed Salah has also hit the ground running with a couple while Firmino chipped in with a goal against Leicester City.
In the previous term, Klopp made an earnest attempt to involve Solanke in his plans despite having more established choices. He was deployed as a No.10 at times and looked impressive in the limited time. A pacy and hardworking striker with a strong physique, Solanke can play either as a supporting striker or a winger. He has a keen eye for goal and shows good commitment on the pitch.
To put things into perspective, Liverpool should have loaned him out to Rangers. Steven Gerrard’s high-flying outfit, with its electric atmosphere similar to English football, should be the ideal destination for Solanke to continue his development.
Gerrard’s guidance, coupled with the familiar surroundings, should do a world of good for the youngster’s development. Furthermore, he will get regular minutes to work on his game and that should be the most important thing for him at this stage of his career.
Nevertheless, the summer transfer window has closed and Solanke cannot leave the club on loan before January. Hence, for the time being, Klopp must provide Solanke with some opportunities to prove his mettle.