Dominic Solanke, Ben Woodburn, and Harry Wilson have all been linked with moves north to join Steven Gerrard at Rangers on loan, but the first Liverpool youngster to make the switch is Ovie Ejaria, with the 20-year-old’s move announced today by the club.
Ejaria signed a new deal with Liverpool, one the club described as long-term, before immediately having his loan to Rangers confirmed, a move that should give the young and highly promising midfielder plenty of chances at first team football next season.
✍ @Ejaria has signed a new long-term #LFC contract and will immediately join @RangersFC on a season-long loan: https://t.co/xfTsUI7B0O pic.twitter.com/3c0DMlVuqf
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 7, 2018
The youngster had a highly promising pre-season in 2016, one that saw him knocking on the door of the first team and given eight appearances that season—two in the league and three each in the FA and League Cups—but he was set back by an ankle injury.
It took him until January of this year to fully recover, and he headed to Sunderland for the second half of the 2017-18 season in search of playing time in a move that didn’t work out especially well for anyone with both Ejaria and Sunderland struggling.
If he can get back on track, rediscovering and building on the promise he showed as an 18-year-old, Ejaria could still have a bright future with the Reds. He will need playing time, though, and a manager who believes in him. At Rangers, he should have both.
Ejaria won’t be the only person joining Rangers from Liverpool, with at least two other players expected to end up there. Academy coach Michael Beale will also be joining Gerrard in Scotland, and other academy staff may eventually go as well.