A fortnight has passed since Liverpool's season ended with the entertainingly daft 4-4 draw at relegated Southampton.
But for one player still on the books of the Reds, the domestic campaign is only now reaching a critical point.
Anderson Arroyo, who signed for Liverpool way back in February 2018, will hope to feature for Alaves in the first leg of their play-off against Levante for promotion back to La Liga in Spain on Sunday evening.
In terms of game time, it has been a frustrating season for the 23-year-old Colombian defender, who has started only two league matches since the beginning of November but did feature for the final 18 minutes of the 2-0 win over Eibar in the semi-final second leg three days ago.
READ MORE: Saudi Arabia transfer exodus could give Liverpool a big problem
READ MORE: Join the Liverpool ECHO's LFC transfer news and top stories WhatsApp community
It is his sixth loan move of a nomadic Reds career, having first appeared on their radar after starring alongside compatriot Luis Diaz for Colombia at the South American U20 Championship in 2017. Arroyo signed a new contract at Liverpool last season to extend his commitment to 2025, but has yet to earn a work permit to play for the Reds and, as such, hasn't even featured for any of the Academy sides despite having been only 18 when first signed.
He was shipped out to Mallorca immediately after signing five years ago, and spent the rest of the season featuring for their B team. He continued his development the following season at Gent in Belgium alongside Taiwo Awoniyi - now at Nottingham Forest - but didn't play for the senior team, then spent the 2019/20 campaign at Mlada Boleslav in Bulgaria but only made two senior appearances.
Finally, in 2020/21, Arroyo enjoyed regular minutes as a starter for Salamanca in the third tier of Spanish football, and played almost the entirety of last season in La Liga B as a centre-back with Mirandes.
Now Arroyo will be hoping to help his present side - who were famously beaten 5-4 by Liverpool in the 2001 UEFA Cup final - an instant return to La Liga after their relegation last season, with the second leg taking place next Saturday. Nevertheless, it's highly likely the defender - a forgotten figure among Liverpool fans - will never pull on a jersey for the Reds.
READ NEXT:
