Liverpool Reportedly Battle Tottenham and Manchester City for Teenage Sensation

Despite that he’s only 16 years old, Ryan Sessegnon has made 17 appearances for Fulham this season, including 13 in the Championship. He has scored four goals and a pair of assists in a little over 1,000 minutes of playing time for a goal involvement every 190 minutes.

Those are numbers that would be impressive for a 16-year-old attacker breaking through in England’s second division, but Sessegnon isn’t an attacker—he’s primarily a left back and occasionally slots in as a wide midfield player. And half the top half of the Premier League are meant to be interested in signing him.

He’s been solidly linked to Manchester City and Tottenham already, but according to a slew of tabloid stories this week, it is Liverpool who are most seriously chasing him and most likely to end up signing him. If a deal were to happen, it is likely he would cost around £15M.

If Sessegnon can continue to develop, it’s a fee that would end up looking a bargain for a player who could play a key role for 15 years for a top side. It would also provide Liverpool with a clear successor to James Milner, who has impressed at left back this season.

Milner has been good enough that there has been some suggestion from journalists with ties to the club that Jürgen Klopp will not look to replace him next summer, but Sessegnon wouldn’t be an immediate replacement for the 31-year-old former England international.

Next season, when Milner is 32, Sessegnon would just be 17 and could comfortably back up Milner while seeing plenty of minutes in the cup competitions. The year after, Sessegnon would be 18 and would be expected to take on a larger role, though even then he might not be first choice.

On paper, at least, there’s a lot to like about this potential transfer, and even if the initial cost seems high for a young left back, if Klopp and Liverpool’s scouts are convinced he can develop into a star, it could end up a superb piece of business for the club.