Jurgen Klopp has Liverpool in the hunt for their first ever Premier League title as we end the first week of January.
However, whilst winning trophies in the near future is obviously the main goal for the German manager, he has also stressed the importance of investing in youth – specifically British youth – to build a strong future at Anfield.
And, according to a report from the Mirror, Klopp took an unusual step this week to try and get the upper hand when it comes to bringing in one exciting 17-year-old striker.
Per the report, Klopp made a “personally phone call” this week to Nottingham Forest, in conjunction with Liverpool’s chief scout Barry Hunter.
The man who he wanted to discuss? The Championship club’s 17-year-old forward Ben Brereton.
Brereton is yet to make a first-team appearance for Forest but has been excelling at the under-23 level. Despite his young age and inexperience, the tall and powerful striker has scored 15 goals in 20 appearances this season.
Forest’s academy has been churning out a decent group of youngsters recently, with Patrick Bamford having joined Chelsea in 2012 and Oliver Burke, dubbed the next Gareth Bale by some, was snapped up by RB Leipzig earlier this season for £13 million.
And, with Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho said to be a fan of Brereton too, that may have been the catalyst for Klopp himself to get in touch with the striker’s club in the past few days.
Indeed, per reports in Liverpool, the Red Devils are willing to pay over £1 million to sign the teenager without a first-team appearance.
Considering Brereton inked a new contract at Forest over the new year, it would certainly appear than a seven figure sum would have to be paid if Klopp is serious about adding to Liverpool’s own exciting group of youngsters.
We’ve already seen him give opportunities to the likes of Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold this season.
The immediate future looks bright for the Merseyside club as the senior players go in search of the Premier League.
But fans should be excited, too, about what they can expect in years to come if Klopp continues to show such enthusiasm for bringing in talent from the next generation.