Liverpool loanee power rankings: Fabio Carvalho flying at Hull but things have gone from bad to worse for Rhys Williams

This season has been a nightmare for the 23-year-old. Williams was sent out on loan to Aberdeen at the start of the season, but his debut was delayed by "one niggle after another", as former Dons boss Barry Robson put it. However, even when fit, Williams was only called upon once, for a Scottish Challenge Cup clash with Peterhead.

Consequently, the defender's scheduled season-long stay at Pittodrie was cut short and he was loaned to Port Vale on January 16. Just two weeks later, though, he was back at Anfield, having been sidelined by yet another injury.

Ramsay can't catch a break at the moment. The former Aberdeen defender saw his first season at Anfield wrecked by a knee injury and then, after joining Preston on loan in June to secure more game time, he suffered another setback.

Ramsay finally made his first competitive appearance for a year in a Championship clash with Middlesbrough at the tail end of November and started against QPR three days later. But the right-back then contracted Covid-19 and didn't play for Preston again before returning to Liverpool.

Ramsay was sent back out on loan in January, this time joining Bolton Wanderers, but he has only made three appearances in League One to date.

After signing a new contract with Liverpool in July, the box-to-box midfielder was allowed to join Wigan on loan with a view to him gaining more senior-level experience, but Balagizi featured in just seven games in all competitions and saw a grand total of 87 minutes of action in League One, with his hopes of playing regular football hindered by a hamstring problem.

As a result, the 20-year-old, who has represented England at various age groups, was recalled by Liverpool in January before being sent out on loan to Kilmarnock, where he has been used solely as a substitute so far.

After only featuring twice in the Premier League last season, the centre-back was in dire need of a move this summer and joined Celtic on loan until January just before the close of the summer transfer window.

The Bhoys, Phillips said shortly after arriving in Glasgow, "have given me a great opportunity" - but while the 26-year-old made a couple of appearances in the Champions League, even starting against Lazio, the defender was only used six times in the Scottish Premiership before returning to Anfield.

It was the right move, as Phillips has now become a regular starter since joining Cardiff City on loan just before the close of the January transfer window.

The hope was that a move to Leipzig would help Carvalho rediscover the form that convinced Liverpool to sign him from Fulham last year, given the Red Bull-backed club are renowned for nurturing young talent. However, the Portuguese started just one Bundesliga game and failed to register either a goal or an assist in 15 appearances in all competitions for the German side, making a January return to Anfield inevitable.

Carvalho has since been loaned to Hull City and the 21-year-old is, perhaps unsurprisingly, starting to shine in the familiar surroundings of the Championship once again, having already racked up three goals in his first 10 outings.

"His mentality is humble," Tigers boss Liam Rosenior said after Carvalho's latest strike. "He wants to work. I have to drag him off the training pitch every day. He's going to have a great career because he's got the right mentality. It's a delight to work with him."

The word is that Hull will try to sign Carvalho on a permanent basis this summer if they secure a return to the Premier League.

After a very productive loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, Morton is once again impressing in the Championship with Hull City. The midfielder's game time was carefully managed at the start of the season by manager Rosenior, but he's now a first-team regular and was named the EFL's Young Player of the Month for November - just after making his England Under-21s debut.

"As much as I love Liverpool, you need to enjoy yourself in football," Morton, who called Carvalho to join him at the MKM Stadium, recently told The Athletic. "I want to show off my quality and I'm very thankful to Liverpool for giving me the chance to get out and develop. I feel as though my confidence is shining through here. Wherever you’re playing your best football has to be right."

Morton will return to Anfield this summer confident that he has the talent to play in the Premier League - and if not not at Liverpool, then elsewhere.

The 21-year-old left-back's loan spell at Dundee went so well that Liverpool decided to recall him during the January transfer window because of injuries to Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas, and Beck made his Premier League debut in a 4-0 win at Bournemouth.

However, with both Robertson and Tsimikas returning to full fitness, the Reds decided to send Beck back to Dens Park for the remainder of the season, much to the delight of manager Tony Docherty. "When we got confirmation from Liverpool that he could come back to Dundee, everyone at the club was so excited: the coaches, the players, and all the other staff at the club," he enthused. "I know the fans will be overjoyed that Owen is back as they loved watching him play in the dark blue of Dundee. He is a brilliant boy, a fantastic member of a really good squad."

Unsurprisingly, Beck, who received his first Wales call-up in October, has slotted straight back into the Dundee starting line-up, and there is already talk of a summer transfer to Rangers or Celtic.

Mainz may be struggling in the Bundesliga, with Jurgen Klopp's former club presently 17th in the standings, but Van den Berg's loan spell at the MEWA Arena is going far better than last season's stint with Schalke, which was ruined by an ankle injury.

The 21-year-old has become a mainstay in the Mainz backline, with coach Bo Henriksen enthusing, "He is a leader and the boss in the middle. He's getting better and better."

Mainz are understandably keen to make Van den Berg's stay permanent and they have first refusal on the Dutchman, should Liverpool decide to sell this summer. However, if they go down, as expected, it would not be a surprise to see the centre-half join another Bundesliga club. Long story short, a decent transfer fee could be coming Liverpool's way this summer.