Ipswich Town told to swerve Liverpool transfer move | OneFootball

Ipswich Town are among a host of clubs who are looking to sign Liverpool midfielder James McConnell on loan in the summer window.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Ipswich Town have been told to avoid a move for Liverpool’s James McConnell due to his lack of experience.

The 20-year-old joined the Reds from Sunderland as a teenager, and he is very highly-rated by the Premier League champions due to his performances in the academy over the years.

That has resulted in McConnell earning a few first-team opportunities, with Arne Slot praising the midfielder after he featured in the Champions League against PSV last season.

Ipswich Town ready to rival West Brom and Derby in pursuit of Liverpool’s James McConnell

However, McConnell is understandably way down the pecking order at Anfield, and with the quality in the squad, that is unlikely to change this season, so it has been suggested that a loan move is on the cards.

It has been claimed that Derby, West Brom and Ipswich are all tracking the player, whilst there is also interest from clubs in Germany.

So, the player could have a big decision to make about his future, and Liverpool are likely to insist that McConnell gets game time before they agree to let him move on.

James McConnell's lack of experience could be a problem for Ipswich Town

From Ipswich’s perspective, it’s clear to see why they are in the market for a new central midfielder, as it’s an area that needs addressing by Kieran McKenna.

Jens Cajuste and Kalvin Phillips have returned to Napoli and Man City after their loan spells, whilst Sam Morsy is poised to move to Kuwait and Massimo Luongo was released.

Therefore, interest in McConnell is understandable, but when asked by FLW about the prospect of the youngster arriving at Portman Road, Ipswich fan pundit Adam Wilkin revealed that whilst the youngster may be talented, he namechecked Tyler Morton as a more exciting option, as he highlighted McKenna’s preference for experience in that role.

“It’s clear we need midfielders in this transfer window, and McConnell is highly-rated at Liverpool, and the teams that are rumoured to be sniffing around him are good company to be in.

“If I was going to go for a Liverpool midfielder, I’d rather go for Tyler Morton, as he has a bit more experience and he knows the league better. But, I’m not sure what Liverpool’s plans are for him this season. I don’t think McConnell would join as a starting midfielder, but we obviously need depth over the course of a season, and McKenna is great at developing youngsters.

“I feel midfield is an area where we have historically gone with experienced bodies, with Morsy, Luongo and even before them we had Dom Ball and Lee Evans. They are all players who had long careers and plenty of experience already.

“So, if we were to give a young midfielder a try, I’d rather stick our homegrown Cameron Humphreys in there rather than McConnell.”