Liverpool have made contact with Jeremy Ngakia’s representatives, according to Read Liverpool. The West Ham United defender’s contract is due to expire at the end of this month and he appears to be willing to leave the club on June 30th despite the fact they would still have seven league games left (as per The Guardian).
The 19-year-old has made just four appearances in the Premier League this season and it’s understood the Reds are ‘one of a large number of clubs who’ve been in contact with the agent of the right-back’ in an attempt to gauge what the player would be looking for if he decides to leave East London this month.
The Guardian reports that Ngakia rejected a long-term deal tabled by the Hammers last month ‘believed to be worth £5,000 a week’. The right-back may well be on the move sooner rather than later, however, according to Read Liverpool’s sources, the Anfield club were told the player wants to go somewhere where he would be given the opportunity to play regular first-team football, and that it ‘seems unlikely that Liverpool will make a move’.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has made the right-back position at Anfield his own, starting 97% of the club’s Premier League games so far this season and so it would be impossible for Jurgen Klopp to be able to promise Ngakia the regular first-team football he supposedly desires.
In our view, Ngakia has shown some signs of promise since breaking into the West Ham team. According to WhoScored.com, his average performance rating stands at 6.60/10 which, when you take into account his age, the little experience he has and the team’s level, seems respectable.
It appears as though he won’t be short of options this summer, however, so a move to the red side of Merseyside may be unlikely if he cannot get the assurance of first-team minutes.