Liverpool intend to ‘raid’ Championship high-flyers Sunderland for the signature of 18-year-old academy talent Trey Ogunsuyi, according to reports.

Clubs increasingly want players from a young age and develop them in-house, rather than go into the top of the transfer market for established stars.

As well as identifying local talent that includes poaching academy players from other clubs. To that end, the pearl of Liverpool’s academy is Trey Nyoni, a player brought in from Leicester City at the age of 16. But they certainly aren’t alone in that tactic, with Manchester United notably snapping up prolific prospect Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal earlier this year.

The Daily Mail writes that the Reds are now monitoring versatile forward Ogunsuyi, who has scored five goals in five appearances at Premier League 2 so far this season, playing with and against players up to several years older.

And while the Belgium junior international is yet to make a senior debut for Sunderland, the youngster has been named on the bench by Regis Le Bris three times.

Sunderland is a club where young players are currently thriving. The Black Cats are aiming to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 and are doing it with a raw but talented squad – four of their five most used players so far this season are aged 23 or younger. Of those, two are 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham and 17-year-old Chris Rigg.

Liverpool’s own crop of youngsters also have plenty of promise. Jurgen Klopp famously relied on them during last season’s triumphant Carabao Cup run, although the aforementioned Nyoni is the only teenage to have accrued any first-team minutes so far under Arne Slot.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has seen his future become a hot topic over the last few months with the 26-year-old’s contract running out at the end of the season. The Reds are yet to agree a new contract with the right-back and Real Madrid are rumoured to be particularly interested in signing the Englishman.

It would be a huge blow for Liverpool to lose their local talisman and vice-captain but a replacement may have to be lined up if he were to leave, despite Conor Bradley’s performances proving he has the potential to take over from Alexander-Arnold.

Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has said that one potential replacement for Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out by Arne Slot.

Liverpool not interested in signing Jeremie Frimpong to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold

Plettenberg said via X: “Liverpool are impressed by Jeremie Frimpong’s development and performances at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

“However, the 24-year-old right wing-back is currently not a concrete transfer target for the summer, primarily because Arne Slot prefers a traditional right-back in a back four, and Frimpong’s role does not currently fit into LFC’s system.”

Frimpong, who ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best right-backs in the world right now, has excelled since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Celtic in 2021.

The Dutch wing-back started his youth career at Manchester City but rose to prominence after scoring 14 times in 47 games during Leverkusen’s historic invincible league title win last season.

Under ex-Liverpool player Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen play a 3-4-3 system that gives wing-backs Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo an attacking license.

However, under Arne Slot, Liverpool play with a back four, and whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold’s influence in the Liverpool side is clear, his creative numbers have declined since Slot joined.

As Plettenberg suggests Frimpong would therefore be less suited to Liverpool’s system, but the fullback has also been linked with Manchester United and Manchester City.

Ruben Amorim has introduced a back-three to Manchester United this season suggesting Old Trafford would be an appropriate destination for Frimpong, whilst a return to Manchester City could also be on the cards given the recent decline in Kyle Walker’s form.

Chelsea have managed to pin down the highly rated young defender Josh Acheampong to a new long-term contract.

Acheampong only made his first senior start for the club in last week’s Conference League clash with Astana in Kazakhstan’s capital, but has long since been considered a promising talent.

The 18-year-old has already broken into the under-21 side and extended his deal to June 2026 at the start of the year. Negotiations over a further extension stalled this season, leading to a frosty standoff between the player and club. Acheampong was banned from all club activities at any level until he committed his future to Chelsea.

This fractious vacuum opened a window for Real Madrid to register an interest in the prodigious right-back.

Tensions have cooled in recent months and, after The Athletic first revealed an agreement had been reached, Chelsea formally confirmed an extension had been signed.

There is no talk of a salary, but the initial report describes the agreement as a “statement of intent” for the recruitment department. Alongside Madrid, several Premier League clubs were also interested in the 18-year-old.

Chelsea captain Reece James is a significant barrier to Acheampong’s route into the first team. Even during the skipper’s numerous injury layoffs, Malo Gusto offers a senior alternative to the academy graduate.

While Acheampong’s Premier League involvement may remain limited in the near future, he will now be free to be called upon in the various cup competitions which Chelsea are involved in. The Blues still have one remaining Conference League first-round tie against Shamrock Rovers and have been drawn against fourth-tier Morecambe in the third round of the FA Cup.

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