West Brom, Ipswich Town and Derby County plot moves for Liverpool midfielder | OneFootball

A trio of Championship clubs are in the mix to sign James McConnell from Liverpool this summer

Ipswich Town, West Brom and Derby County are among the clubs keen on signing Liverpool youngster James McConnell this summer.

According to journalist Lewis Steele, the trio of Championship sides are on high alert after it’s been decided he will go out on loan for the upcoming campaign.

The 20-year-old midfielder has made three Premier League appearances so far in his senior career, all of which came as a substitute.

However, he has yet to break into Arne Slot’s plans at Anfield, and he only played four games in all competitions for Liverpool last season, none of which came in the league.

Championship trio eye Liverpool starlet

McConnell is reportedly close to agreeing a new long-term deal with Liverpool ahead of a potential loan exit.

It has been claimed that Ipswich, West Brom and Derby are all monitoring the situation and could make a move for a temporary deal.

However, they face competition from clubs in Germany as well, with the player potentially set for a switch abroad.

Liverpool will be keen to see the midfielder earn regular game time next season, as they look to find him consistent experience at senior level.

McConnell made his debut in a Europa League clash against Toulouse in October 2023, and has played a total of 13 times for the current Premier League champions.

However, he is set to miss the Reds’ Asia tour due to a minor injury, but this setback should not prevent a move from coming together before the summer market concludes.

Ipswich, West Brom and Derby’s Championship ambitions

Ipswich are among the favourites to be in the mix for automatic promotion this season, which could make them an attractive proposition for someone like McConnell.

However, there could be concerns over potential game time in Kieran McKenna’s side given that goal, while West Brom will be aiming for a top six finish.

John Eustace will be looking to steer Derby into the top half of the table, having overseen their survival last season with a 20th place finish.

McConnell’s priority needs to be game time

McConnell hasn’t been able to break into the Liverpool squad consistently, but the fact he’s been given 13 appearances by a club of that stature shows there is potential there.

The midfielder needs regular game time to really show what he’s capable of, so any Championship side will need to guarantee that to win the race to his signature.

Working with a coach like Eustace, who has proven himself at this level of being able to improve young talent, could be enticing for Liverpool.

But the Reds could also see the opportunity to give him top flight experience in Germany as a greater opportunity, so each of these three clubs will have a difficult task on their hands to sign McConnell this summer.