Sky Sports reports that Liverpool are working on the ‘final details’ in a deal to send Ben Davies on loan to Sheffield United for the 2021/22 season.
Davies will ‘complete the move early next week’, per Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, and significantly, the deal will not include the option to buy the defender.
That particular detail is very interesting to me as it’s never really seemed as though Davies would ever get a look in.
Him going on loan further confirms that but the lack of a right to buy clause would suggest that he does have some kind of a future at Anfield.
Liverpool are very well-stocked on high-quality centre backs now after Ibrahima Konate’s arrival from RB Leipzig for £36million.
Jurgen Klopp can now call on the Frenchman, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Rhys Williams and should he fails to secure a late move, Nathaniel Phillips remains a strong option.
I don’t see Davies ever breaking into the Liverpool XI so I’m not sure why the Reds refused to agree to the obligation to buy clause unless United were offering less than Edwards demanded.
As Sky Sports mention, Liverpool paid just £2m for Davies and unless he is transformed over the next 12 months, he isn’t at the level required to play for Klopp regularly.
Edwards thinking might be that loaning him out could see his value trend upwards and therefore he’ll be able to sell him for more next summer.