Liverpool starlet James McConnell to join Ajax on loan - sources

Liverpool midfielder James McConnell is joining Ajax on a season-long loan deal, sources have told ESPN.

McConnell, 20, has only made three Premier League appearances for Liverpool but is set to be a valuable member of Ajax's squad for the 2025-26 season.

He will fill a need for the Eredivisie side, after former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson left on a free to Brentford.

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West Brom, Hull City, Oxford United and Sturm Graz were also reportedly keen McConnell, but Ajax and Liverpool are nearing an agreement on a loan without an obligation to make the deal permanent.

Sources have told ESPN that the presence of manager John Heitinga, who worked with McConnell as assistant manager at Liverpool last season, and the fact that Ajax play Champions League football, were the deciding factors.

Information from ESPN Netherlands and ESPN's Beth Lindop was used in this report.