We’ve seen it many times before: a young English player who has come through the ranks in the academy to eventually get to the first-team, only to be turned away due to high competition.
And this is the problem young Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe is currently facing with his future set to be resolved one way or another this summer. At 20-years-old, the winger is approaching the most pivotal point in his career where he will either thrive in the top flight or risk being shipped out to a lower league club.
But whilst Ibe has been linked with a move away from Anfield, there are plenty of reasons to suggest why the pacey Englishman could do well should he stay at Liverpool.
So with that in mind, here’s FIVE reasons why Jordon Ibe could be an asset to Liverpool…
Potential
At just 20, Jordon Ibe has years ahead of him and he’s featured heavily for Liverpool this season. Four goals have done little to harm his hopes of solidifying a place in the first-team and Ibe’s form has been extremely impressive at times this season.
Jurgen seems to be a fan
Whilst Jurgen Klopp is still trying to find his preferred squad and formation, he appeared to be a fan of Ibe’s, and used him regularly as he made 27 Premier League apperances last season. This can only bode well for the Liverpool youngster, who seems to have made a good impression on the German during his first season at the Liverpool helm.
There were some rumours of a rift between Klopp and the player, but these were quickly dismissed by the manager as nonsense.
Goalscoring ability
As we saw when Liverpool played West Brom, Jordon Ibe has a fantastic goalscoring ability, which, for a winger is an extremely desirable asset. Whilst Ibe may not have scored as many as he would have liked last season, when he let rip against the Baggies, few expected the goal to be as good as it eventually was. This is an area of his game that he will be keen to develop further, whether he stays at Anfield or not.
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He’s worth more than fees being touted
Varying reports have suggested that Liverpool value their winger at anywhere between £5m and £10m, but in the current footballing climate, is this enough for a player that has the raw talent to be a future England star? Whilst we’ve seen some young players fall away from the top of their game, Ibe shows real signs of potential and such fees don’t seem like a justly sum for a player that could wield such good results in the future.
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The fans like him
A recent poll by Liverpool fan site ThisisAnfield suggested that 56% of Reds fans want to see Ibe stay next season, but sent out on loan to further his development. This is a real plus point for the player who appears to be well liked at Anfield. A few good performances on the pitch could well see this statistic improve too.
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