Liverpool youngster suffers injury blow as Man City lurks ahead of contract deadline

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Liverpool IconLiverpool FC NewsFeaturesLiverpool FCJosh Abe is a highly regarded youngster in Liverpool's academy who is also attracting interest from other clubs, but he will not play again this season due to injuryJosh Abe will be sidelined for the remainder of the season(Image: Getty Images)A Liverpool youngster who is of interest to a host of top Premier League clubs has been ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury.The 15-year-old sustained the injury while on international duty with England's Under-16s, and will not return to the field before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.Abe is highly regarded at Liverpool, and he also has admirers in Manchester City and Arsenal.The teenager is not yet old enough to have signed a professional contract with Liverpool, but the Reds will be hopeful of convincing him to stay with them when the time comes for him to pen terms.Players cannot sign professional contracts until they are 17 years old, although they can sign scholarship terms and sign pre-contract agreements at 16.READ MORE: Jamie Carragher pulled up on Mohamed Salah snub as Liverpool comments resurfaceREAD MORE: Arne Slot shares reality of finally addressing Liverpool's big problem this seasonAbe recently signed a deal with Tyler Alexander-Arnold’s PLG Agency, which represents players including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, and Jarrod Bowen.Abe was called up to senior training in January, as he made the step up at the AXA Training Center the day after Liverpool's Champions League thrashing of Qarabag.With most of Liverpool's senior players on a recovery day, Abe was called upon to fill in during a first-team training session.Abe has made 11 appearances for Liverpool at youth-team level so far this season, scoring eight goals and registering three assists.It was reported by The Athletic earlier this month that Abe's Liverpool future is uncertain because he has yet to accept the Reds' offer of a scholarship on Merseyside.Abe has attracted interest from Liverpool rivals(Image: Getty Images)Other clubs will be free to talk to the player if he has not agreed terms with Liverpool by June 1, but talks between Liverpool and the player's camp are ongoing.The situation is similar to the one that Chelsea found itself in with prodigious youngster Rio Ngumoha, who opted against continuing his development in West London in favor of a move to Liverpool in 2024.Ngumoha is still just 17 years old but is a regular in gameday squads for Liverpool, making 16 first-team appearances this season, most of which have come as a substitute.It was recently ruled by a tribunal that Liverpool must pay Chelsea an initial £2.8 million ($3.8 million) compensation fee for Ngumoha.That amount could increase to £6.8 million ($9.2 million) in the future, depending on what the player goes on to achieve in his career.Liverpool FCAcademy