Loan moves can often prove to be pivotal periods during a player's career.
For those still of a young age or in need of regular minutes, individuals often return to their parent club having gained valuable skills they otherwise may not have obtained. It also serves as an effective way to showcase the talent of someone who could later be sold, as Liverpool successfully showed with Rhian Brewster in 2020.
Not every temporary switch has its desired impact, however, as was recently the case with Billy Koumetio, who was recalled from Austria Vienna after being restricted to just five league appearances. The defender marked his return to the Reds in style, scoring from his own half in an under-21s triumph over PSG.
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The 20-year-old is not the only player who could be heading back to Anfield ahead of schedule, though, as we take a look at four others who could soon follow suit.
Jakub Ojrzynski
A successful spell with Welsh Premier League side Caernarfon Town occurred last campaign for the Reds' Academy goalkeeper, featuring a total of 32 times as the Coffies secured a fourth-placed finish. The 19-year-old sealed a switch to Polish top-flight side Radomiak Radom in June but has featured in only one league fixture and two cup games.
The Reds are unlikely to be impressed with his lack of first-team action and could not be criticised should they decide to search for a new club to aid Ojrzynski's development.
Max Woltman
Woltman is another player who has struggled to reap the rewards of his season-long loan, struggling for a consistent run of appearances at Doncaster Rovers.
The League Two club have only trusted the 19-year-old forward to start three fourth tier fixtures and have left the teenager out of their matchday squad altogether on more than occasion this term.
Doncaster are 'yet to decide' on whether they plan to keep Woltman, according to a latest report, with head coach Danny Schofield admitting discussions around his future are 'ongoing'. “Max has developed really well since I have been working with him and the other coaching staff have seen a change in his intensity to play, which we wanted a little bit more of," he told the Doncaster Free Press. "He’s a talented player with lots of potential, discussions around Max and other players are ongoing.”
Discussing the possibility of his stay in South Yorkshire ending prematurely, Woltman stressed his desire to see out his time with Doncaster when speaking to the ECHO last month.
"I want to play football and obviously I’m willing to do the dirty side of the game, if needs be. I feel I’ve settled quite well and am getting used to how the manager wants to play and what the lads need from me as well," he said.
“I want to see the team go for promotion. I feel like we’ve got a strong enough side and a good enough side to do that. If I can help the lads as much as possible, every day in training. I try to work the lads and they work me as well. I think we’ve got a really good chance of going for promotion. There would be nothing better than sealing the season off with it.”
Leighton Clarkson
Leighton Clarkson knows all too well what a loan move that fails to work out looks like, having seen his time with Blackburn Rovers cut short last January after limited opportunities at Ewood Park.
This campaign has produced the opposite outcome, having seamlessly slotted into Aberdeen's midfield department. The 21-year-old is loving life in the Scottish Premiership, taking part in all but four league matches and scoring five times in the process.
Such has been the impact of his performances, Clarkson is now understood to be attracting interest from three Championship sides. Queens Park Rangers are among the teams said to be eyeing the midfielder, who could be reunited with former Liverpool Academy coach Neil Critchley if he were to join the London club.
It remains to be seen as to whether or not the Reds will recall Clarkson, in order to gain experience in the English second tier, but the player himself is refusing to become distracted by rumours relating to this possibility.
He told the ECHO: “I don’t think about what’s going to happen in the future really. I just want to do my best for Aberdeen now. I’m getting that experience and playing men’s football. I just want to do as well as I can and see where that takes me. I’m really enjoying it. I’ve come to gain the experience I feel I needed at this club and in the Scottish league. I’m doing that so far, I’m enjoying my football. I want to keep going and try and win a trophy or help us win third place.”
Vitezslav Jaros:
Recruited by Stockport County for their first season back in the Football League after an 11-year absence, Liverpool's Academy shot-stopper quickly displaced Ben Hinchliffe as the club's No.1 option.
Disaster struck in an October fixture with Salford City, however, as Jaros was forced off through injury and subsequently surrendered his starting spot to the long-serving Hinchliffe. Now recovered from his spell on the sidelines, Liverpool's loanee has not come back into the starting-eleven and could well remain out of the team following Hinchliffe's impressive form.
County are pushing for back-to-back promotions and will be reluctant to change a system which has seen the club collect seven clean sheets in the absence of Jaros. Commenting on the battle between the two keepers, Stockport manager Dave Challinor told reporters: “It’s not really [a difficult call]. For me it’s the same call as it would be for a centre-forward, a centre-half, a centre-midfield player. What potentially happens is that Ben’s possibly under a little bit more pressure than he will have been with Bobby, without being disrespectful to him, because all of a sudden in that scenario you do have a more defined number 1 and number 2.
“With Vit coming back in, it’s what we said at the start of the season – it’s two number 1s to go and fight for that place. Ultimately, the way things are at the minute, Ben is in control of what happens so, hopefully, Vit doesn’t get the opportunity and has to sit and be patient, because if that’s the case then things are going really well."
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