With multiple midfielders set to depart Liverpool this summer, it would not be a major surprise to see a whole host of reinforcements duly arrive. Signing one emerging starlet could show Anfield’s recruitment chiefs have learned a major lesson.

Of course, as long-serving stars James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keïta head for the exit door, a whole host of potential targets have been mooted as replacement options for the Reds. Cast your mind back several months and it appeared highly likely that Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham would be the man that Liverpool would identify as a marquee signing to kickstart a new era.

However, with multiple issues within Klopp’s squad having become abundantly clear over the course of this campaign, it soon became apparent that one player would not be sufficient to plug the gaps in question. With an asking price of some $160m (£132m/€150m), according to The Athletic, Liverpool has instead turned its attentions towards making multiple signings as opposed to one blockbuster purchase.

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Even so, it remains undeniable that Bellingham ticked a whole host of boxes for the Reds — not least due to his tender age and homegrown status. With this in mind, it does not seem unfeasible that the Merseysiders would potentially look to sign an alternative young English midfielder this summer anyway, while avoiding having to pay what would be a nine-figure fee.

The Reds could essentially cut out the middle man and look to sign an emerging talent at source, rather than having to pay another European giant a massive fee in the coming years. On balance, this would appear a more logical way of doing business — after all, Borussia Dortmund stands to make a substantial profit on the $31m (£25m/€29m) initial fee it paid Birmingham City for Bellingham back in 2020.

One prospect who has caught the eye this season is Middlesbrough starlet Hayden Hackney, who was central to his side finishing in the play-off places in the Championship this term. The 20-year-old experienced something of a breakout season in the second tier, appearing 36 times for the senior side and notching seven goal contributions in the process.

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The youngster’s rise has attracted the interest of scouts from a number of Premier League clubs, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle United having watched him at points this term, as per 90min. Another detail which one imagines will not be lost on suitors is that the Scotland U-21s star is about to enter the final year of his current contract, meaning Michael Carrick’s side may be left with little option but to cash in on the player, who is valued at $2.2m (£1.7m/€2m) by Transfermarkt.

Taking a closer look at the former Scunthorpe United loanee’s numbers from this season, it is clear why elite sides have sat up and taken notice of the talented midfielder. According to FootyStats, Hackney has an impressive pass completion rate of approximately 89 per cent, with his expected assists output coming in at roughly 0.22 per 90 minutes — above 81 per cent of the players in the Championship.

Clearly, the Redcar-born talent is a player on the rise and it is impressive that he is showing such outstanding numbers, especially when one considers that he has not yet played 50 games for his boyhood club. On top of this, the starlet has played in multiple positions during his fledgling career, including defensive midfield and the left-wing — demonstrating his tactical flexibility.

Liverpool was priced out of a deal for Bellingham ahead of this summer and it is important that the club ensures that it is more cunning in the transfer market in the future. Signing a homegrown talent this summer like Hackney would demonstrate that Anfield’s recruitment chiefs have already learned a major lesson.

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