Liverpool set to terminate young starlet’s loan with Ajax as Championship sides circle ahead of January transfer window

McConnell, who graduated from Liverpool's youth system in 2023, joined Ajax on a season-long loan deal during the summer transfer window. Before heading out of Anfield for his first ever loan spell, McConnell put pen to paper on a new five-year deal with the Reds.

With John Heitinga, who assisted Arne Slot in the past, in the Ajax dugout at that time, the Premier League champions felt McConnell would grow further with more playing opportunities. However, things changed after Heitinga was released from his duties, with the Reds youngster playing just seven matches in the last six months and being excluded from the first team in the last few weeks.

Liverpool are understandably not happy with his role at Ajax and his progress has been halted due to lack of game time. As a result, VI report that McConnell could cut his loan spell short in January and return to England.

According to the Daily Mail, if McConnell returns to England next month, he might not have to wait for too long for a fresh loan spell. Four Championship clubs - West Brom, Derby, Oxford United and Swansea - have all emerged as interested suitors. It now remains to be seen if the Reds are planning to send out the 21-year-old on a second loan spell or use him as a backup in the senior squad. 

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Arne Slot should consider bringing in a new defender in January as their backline has miserably underperformed in the 2025-26 campaign thus far. Former Reds star Stephen Warnock thinks that his former club must make defensive reinforcements next month and has advised them to sign Arsenal star Jurrien Timber.

Warnock told Aceodds: "When I look at the defence and who Liverpool should sign, personally I think they need a centre back and a right back. In the right back position they have Frimpong, Gomez and Bradley. All three are injury-prone and they are not robust enough to play week in week out, and that is something they have to go away from. Liverpool has to look at how reliable their players are to play every single week, and at the moment those players aren’t fit enough for that. That is a major issue for Liverpool at the moment. Liverpool are a better team when they have a proper right back in that position. It balances the team better and allows Szoboszlai to play in the midfield. 

"So, I think signing a right back is equally as important as signing a centre back at the moment. The issue I have with right backs at the moment is that it always seems to be midfield players playing there, the Guardiola style. I think you need a specialist for that right back, which can be difficult to find in January. In an ideal world I would bring in Jurrien Timber, but I don’t think Arsenal would allow that. I think he is the best right back in the league. I think he is brilliant. Someone of that quality who is good in 1v1 situations. Since his ACL injury he has shown his robustness to come back."

The defending champions ended the calendar year on a bright note as they eclipsed Chelsea to climb back into the top four in the Premier League table with a win over Wolves. They will now hope to kick off the New Year in style and aim to go further up the table when they face Leeds United on January 1 at Anfield.