Luis Diaz will be able to replace Nat Phillips in Liverpool’s Champions League squad for the second half of the 2021/22 season despite the fact he is not a homegrown player.
The Reds signed the Colombia international from FC Porto in a deal which could be worth up to £49m, while the defender was one of two players to leave Anfield on loan on transfer deadline day, signing for AFC Bournemouth as Neco Williams joined Fulham until the end of the season.
Having progressed to the knockout stages, Liverpool are allowed to register up to three new players in their squad for European competition in the second half of the season, with their latest signing almost certain to be included as a result.
Despite featuring against the Reds for Porto in the Champions League group-stages, Diaz will be free to feature for Jurgen Klopp ’s side in the competition during the second half of the season following a rule-change back in 2018.
In previous years the winger would have been cup-tied, but UEFA changed the rules of the competition meaning players who had appeared in the group stage for one club would be eligible for a different club in the knockout stages throughout European competition.
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However, while the 25-year-old is free to feature for Liverpool in the Champions League this season, the Reds would still need to make a change to their squad for the second half of the campaign for the forward to be eligible, with them still being limited to naming a 24-man squad rather than the maximum 25-man squad due to UEFA’s homegrown rules.
In Liverpool’s Premier League squad, Klopp will simply leave out Loris Karius to make room for his £49m signing, with the German goalkeeper having no future at Anfield.
But he will not able to do the same in Europe as the shot-stopper was never named in the Reds’ Champions League squad for this season due to UEFA’s differing rules regarding homegrown players.
This is because of Harvey Elliott, with the 18-year-old having to be registered to play in Europe despite the fact he counts as an Under-21s player who doesn’t need to be registered to play in the Premier League this season.
While of age to be registered as a ‘List B’ player, having been born on, or after, 1 January 2000 - the midfielder doesn’t actually yet fulfil the criteria to be counted as such.
UEFA rules state that an of age player can be registered on ‘List B’ if he; “has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years since his 15th birthday by the time he is registered with UEFA, or a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year.”
Joining Liverpool from Fulham when 16 years old in July 2019, Elliott’s season on loan at Blackburn Rovers last season means he has not enjoyed an uninterrupted two-year period at Anfield, though he will be eligible to be registered as a ‘List B’ player next season in line with UEFA rules.
However, it is not as simple as the teenager’s presence meaning Jurgen Klopp can just name a full 25-man squad of ‘List A’ players, despite the former Fulham man technically being an eighth homegrown option at Anfield.
That’s because while clubs are required to name at least eight locally trained players in their squads, four of those eight local nominees need to be club-trained players who were on a club's books for three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
Liverpool only possess three such senior players in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Caoimhin Kelleher, with Elliott joining Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Nat Phillips as association-trained players (players who were on another club's books in the same association for three years between the ages of 15 and 21).
Klopp named all five association-trained players in his squad for the first half of the season, but one of them technically didn’t count as one of the Reds’ eight local nominees, with them only allowed to name a 24-man squad as a result of not boasting a fourth club-trained option.
Such an issue should swiftly be eradicated in years to come thanks to the presence of the likes of Curtis Jones, Tyler Morton and Conor Bradley who have all featured in the Champions League this season as ‘List B’ players, Rhys Williams, who can now be added back to ‘List B’ after his season-long loan to Swansea City was cut short last month, and Elliott.
But while Phillips’ loan move to Bournemouth means Liverpool’s Premier League squad will have to reduce in size further to 23 senior players, it’s a different story in Europe with his exit just removing the additional, ‘unnecessary’ association-trained player and freeing up an extra space
And with Klopp’s 24-man squad still containing three club-trained players and four-association trained players after January transfer deadline day, the defender’s exit leaves Diaz free to fill the vacancy in the Reds’ Champions League quota.
However, Liverpool will face a dilemma if they wish to register Kaide Gordon in their Champions League squad for the second half of the season.
The 17-year-old, who signed from Derby County a year ago, has made four appearances for the Reds so far this season, and scored his first goal and was handed his Premier League debut.
But like Elliott, the teenager does not yet fulfil the criteria to be registered as a ‘List B’ player despite being of age, having not been on the club’s books long enough. As such, Liverpool would have to leave out a senior player if they wished to include the youngster.
Therefore, it remains likely that Gordon will remain ineligible for the Champions League this season.
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Liverpool are required to submit their Champions League squad to the FA today to be verified, validated and forwarded to UEFA by 11pm tonight (February 1, 2022).
Liverpool 2021/22 potential Champions League squad in full
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Adrian, Caoimhin Kelleher (CT).
Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez (CT), Kostas Tsimikas, Andy Robertson, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold (CT).
Midfielders: Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, James Milner (AT), Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson (AT), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (AT), Harvey Elliott (AT).
Forwards: Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Takumi Minamino, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Divock Origi.
‘List A’ player added: Luis Diaz
‘List A’ player removed: Nat Phillips
Current 'List B' players: Harvey Davies, Neco Williams (out on loan), James Norris, Jarell Quansah, Luke Chambers, Billy Koumetio, Curtis Jones, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Owen Beck, Dominic Corness, Tyler Morton, Max Woltman, Conor Bradley, James Balagizi, Harvey Blair, Oakley Cannonier.
Potential new ‘List B’ players: Rhys Williams, Leighton Clarkson.
