'Outstanding' Liverpool youngster Arne Slot loved in pre-season shines on loan and scores his first pro brace
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Liverpool certainly have some stars who are putting their case forward for next season already.
The Reds had an excellent summer in the transfer market in terms of both incomings and outgoings, but the latter is something that may have gone under the radar.
Not only did Liverpool raise a good amount of money through sales, but they also added clauses into contracts that should benefit them later down the line.
They also completed loan moves for many youngsters that, again, should help them in the near future, with many getting their introductory taste of first-team football.
However, there is one player in particular who is out on loan and again, in fact, with the same team for a second successive season, with the 21-year-old starting the campaign on fire.
Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool’s academy is one of the best in English football, with the Reds having a knack for turning top talent into first-team starters.
This does not mean for their own team, of course, as many go on to shine elsewhere, but the plan is to slowly integrate them into Arne Slot’s team when ready.
One player who was on the brink of that is Luca Stephenson, with the 21-year-old impressing the Dutchman throughout pre-season.
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Labelled as ‘outstanding’ while on loan at Dundee United last season, the versatile midfielder has gone out there again for the 2025/26 campaign, and he is certainly picking up where he left off.
Playing as a right wing-back, Stephenson scored twice in his side’s 3-3 draw with Hibernian, meaning that he now has three goal involvements in as many games.
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Stephenson impressed the Liverpool coaches during pre-season and was even rewarded with a new long-term contract before going back out on loan.
This suggests the Reds think he could have a big future at the club, indicating that he is one to keep an eye on.
As mentioned, Stephenson is predominantly a defensive midfielder by trade, but his versatility means he can play almost anywhere.
During pre-season, he mainly operated as a centre-back or full-back, but for Dundee, he has been playing in a right wing-back position.
This means he can really show his attacking capabilities, something his manager was impressed by.
“There were so many good individual performances and, of course, Luca deserves a huge amount of credit for the goals he scored, and he was really unlucky at the end there [not to get a third],” Jim Goodwin said.
For now, Stephenson must keep working hard while away, but based on how well he has been playing, he might be edging close to becoming a more regular part of Slot’s winning Liverpool team.