On Tuesday, it was announced that Michael Edwards would return to Liverpool to assume the role of CEO of football for Fenway Sports Group (FSG), a more far-reaching and influential role than his previous job at Anfield as Liverpool's sporting director.
That's not to say the 44-year-old's erstwhile position at the club didn't have its influence, with Jurgen Klopp's dynasty on Merseyside built on the foundation of Edwards' involvement in club operations and transfer activity; in other words, Liverpool's illustrious success over the past near-decade owes much to his diligent work.
Klopp is stepping down from his position as Liverpool manager at the end of the season but now there is hope that the club will continue to thrive, with the first-team in a great position after being recharged with fresh talent last summer and a tidal wave of youth prospects emerging.
It is the teenage ranks that fill Liverpool with such excitement, Klopp overseeing breakthroughs from stars such as Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley, among many others, to join a senior squad consisting of top-class pros like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.
Liverpool's best academy graduates
Liverpool arguably have the richest crop of youth talent filtering through in the Premier League right now; Tottenham Hotspur's U21s are undefeated atop the Premier League 2, but no other club boasts the same success that Klopp's kids have found over the past few months.
The Anfield side had been beset with a heap of injuries recently that had threatened to derail an exciting campaign, but despite this deluge, the Carabao Cup has been clinched and Liverpool have waded deeper into the FA Cup and Europa League (holding a 5-1 advantage over Sparta Prague in the last 16 after a first-leg drubbing).
Moreover, the fight for the Premier League title continues and Sunday's draw against Manchester City illustrated this success, with Quansah and Bradley both starting and excelling.
Bradley, for example, ranks among the top 6% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists, the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries, the top 9% for successful take-ons and the top 1% for tackles and blocks per 90, as per FBref.
While he has not been in the first-team long, completing just 16 senior appearances this season, Bradley looks the real deal and has ensured that the Reds have not felt the absence of the injured Alexander-Arnold too keenly – which really is quite a thing.
Quansah's introduction came earlier, with Alexander-Arnold hailing the young centre-back's "absolutely phenomenal" start to life in the first-team.
Harvey Elliott
20 y/o
39
2
7
Trent Alexander-Arnold
25 y/o
29
2
10
Curtis Jones
23 y/o
28
5
3
Caoimhin Kelleher
25 y/o
20
0
0
Conor Bradley
20 y/o
16
1
5
Bobby Clark
19 y/o
10
0
1
James McConnell
19 y/o
8
0
1
Ben Doak
18 y/o
6
0
0
Jayden Danns
18 y/o
4
2
0
Luke Chambers
19 y/o
4
0
0
Kaide Gordon
19 y/o
3
0
0
Stefan Bajcetic
19 y/o
2
0
0
Calum Scanlon
19 y/o
2
0
0
Lewis Koumas
18 y/o
1
1
0
Trey Nyoni
16 y/o
1
0
0
James McConnell, Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas, Stefan Bajcetic, Trey Nyoni. Those are just some other names of teenagers making waves for Liverpool recently, and that list is not exhaustive.
But what if Liverpool's most exciting up-and-comer is not even playing at the club right now? Might it be that this colossal influx of quality stretches beyond the city?
Indeed, Luke Chambers is currently out on loan with Wigan Athletic in League One and the dynamic defender's displays suggest that he too might be in line for a senior role next season.
Luke Chambers' season in numbers
Chambers has actually completed four senior appearances for Liverpool this season, starting twice during the Europa League group phase, but he was granted a loan move to Wigan in January to best serve his immediate development.
It's been a brilliant decision, with the 19-year-old cementing himself as a starring member of Shaun Maloney's team and being crowned the outfit's Player of the Month for February, having featured in central defence and, more recently, at left-back. Like Quansah, therefore, he can play in the middle. Like Bradley, he can play in wide defence. That certainly bodes well for his chance of first-team football at Anfield.
As per Sofascore, the 6-foot defender has racked up two assists from 12 League One fixtures so far, keeping four clean sheets, completing 82% of his passes, succeeding with 67% of his dribbles and averaging six successful duels, 3.4 tackles and 4.5 ball recoveries per game.
Those are some impressive metrics, and while he is plying his trade some distance away from top-flight football with the Reds, Chambers has showcased his skills remarkably and has already proved himself an exciting prospect in Klopp's eyes through his features in Europe.
He might just prove to be the biggest talent Liverpool have had since Alexander-Arnold, surpassing the aforementioned Bradley and Quansah – who were both on loan in League One last season.
Described as a "top talent" by Liverpool reporter Lewis Bower, Chambers' versatility and energy in defence blends with some excellent defensive work and an impressive technical quality to boot. He's the real deal and his recent exploits with the Latics might just be the launchpad his budding career needs.
One final point. Now that Edwards' appointment has been confirmed, with Richard Hughes taking the role as sporting director from Bournemouth too, the hunt for Klopp's successor will start to ramp up the gas, with one man the clear favourite to take to the dugout.
Yes, Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is working wonders over in Germany and while Bayern Munich, ten points behind table-topping Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, are hoping to appoint Alonso themselves, Liverpool will throw the kitchen sink on getting it over the line.
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Chambers was actually a transfer target for Alonso's side last summer but Liverpool rejected the advances, so if the Spanish tactician does wind up at Anfield, Chambers might find himself joining the likes of Bradley and Quansah at the crest of this prodigious wave of potential.
The next few months will be telling, but with all these cogs clicking together Chambers might just be fuelled with belief that he too will enter the limelight at Liverpool, sooner rather than later.
