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Liverpool are preparing to make big calls on futures of young stars

Liverpool fly home from the United States straight after the Manchester United game on Saturday and will arrive back on Merseyside with big decisions to make on the futures of several fringe players.

There are a number of youngsters – returning loanees or ones stepping up from the academy ranks – who have uncertain short-term futures and new transfer chief Richard Hughes has fielded a large number of calls trying to take them on loan or permanent.

Red Bull Salzburg are pushing hard for talented midfielder Bobby Clark, who had a breakthrough season last term and starred in the Carabao Cup final victory. The Austrian club holds firm interest alongside several other clubs.

Championship sides such as Norwich and Leeds have registered their interest to sign Clark, 19, who returned to training with the Under 21s this week after a back injury. New head coach Arne Slot wants to take a look at him before sanctioning any exit.

Clark made huge strides last season and two of the integral figures of his rise were Pepijn Lijnders and Vitor Matos, close allies of Jurgen Klopp who are now in charge at Austrian side Salzburg.

Another midfielder, Tyler Morton, is also attracting mass interest from in England and around the continent. Fellow Red Bull-owned club, Leipzig, are seen as the frontrunners to sign the 21-year-old but plenty of other sides are keen.

Morton has impressed on Liverpool’s tour of America and has not pushed for a move, with the midfielder telling LFCTV that Slot’s style is ‘Total Football’. He has enjoyed his trip after a positive loan at Hull City last year but faces an uncertain future at Anfield.

Italian side Atalanta, who knocked Liverpool out of last season’s Europa League, are keen – as are a number of Premier League clubs. Morton has senior football experience and has been capped several times for England Under 21s so suitors would have to cough up to sign him.

James McConnell (left) is another who could leave the club on loan this summer, amid interest from outside of the Premier League

Elsewhere, the likes of James McConnell and Kaide Gordon are attracting interest for loan moves from clubs outside of the Premier League. Fellow youngster Ben Doak is subject to interest from the likes of Leicester and Southampton for a temporary move.

Two of the starting XI for wins over Real Betis and Arsenal, Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho, also leave Liverpool with decisions to make. Both have received lots of interest and the Reds rejected a bid of around £10m from PSV Eindhoven for Van den Berg last week.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

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