Herbie Kane is just one of many young Liverpool players whose future is unclear. The Bristol-born midfielder spent the second half of the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Hull City, although he featured just seven times for the struggling Tigers. It was the player’s second spell working under Grant McCann, having previously enjoyed a productive season with Doncaster Rovers. He scored seven times, and registered ten assists in 49 appearances for the South Yorkshire club, and his eye-catching performances earned him a place in the League One Team of the Season.
An injury Herbie Kane picked up while on loan for Hull may mean his chances of moving to a Football League club will be reduced.
He may stay put at Liverpool for the time being. [@neiljonesgoal] pic.twitter.com/emEJ7V2GJk
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) August 18, 2020
Although his time in East Yorkshire wasn’t quite as productive, he did find the net twice, shortly before a back injury prevented him from playing any further part. As a result, Kane is likely to be out of action until late September, and with the transfer window set to slam shut at the beginning of October, it is likely to leave very little time to make arrangements for the 2020-21 campaign.
Although another six-month loan spell is a possibility, this rising star will surely benefit from getting a full season under his belt. This would give him a chance to fully acclimatise to his new surroundings, as well as enable him to further his development. The Reds are understandably keen for the left-footed midfielder to get plenty of minutes, and a loan spell at a top half Championship outfit would surely be preferable. Liverpool rate Kane highly and having signed a new contract with the Merseyside club back in 2018, they are unlikely to let him leave Melwood on a permanent basis.
Although the majority of his appearances so far have been in the third tier, Kane looks set for a bright future in the game, and he was listed amongst the 100 nominees for the FIFA Golden Boy award in 2018, alongside teammates Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The impressive Curtis Jones is one of the candidates for this year’s award, alongside some of Europe’s top talent including Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, Wolves’ Pedro Neto and Inter’s Sebastiano Esposito. Like Kane, the latter is expected to go out on loan next season, although he’s recently featured in the Serie A club’s Europa League campaign, and will also be hoping to be involved in the final. Antonio Conte’s side are the 6/5 outsiders in the UEFA Europa League winners odds, and although the former Chelsea boss isn’t renowned for giving younger players the chance to shine, he may be tempted to give the talented striker a chance to make a name for himself in Cologne.
Kane’s versatility could also prove an incredibly useful asset, with the midfielder able to operate down either flank, or in the centre of the park. With Liverpool seemingly well stocked in this area of the field, it looks like the former Bristol City youth player may have to wait a longer for his top flight debut.
The midfielder is expected to be out injured until the end of next month #hcafc https://t.co/XXHWr6sqOd
— Hull City News 🐯 (@HDMHullCity) August 19, 2020
The midfielder’s injury is incredibly unfortunate, and his next move is likely to have significant ramifications on the rest of his career. Another season at Anfield could see him become frustrated with little more than the occasional cameo in cup competitions, whereas a season-long loan is likely to hugely accelerate his progress. Although the decision is likely to be out of his hands, the next couple of months will be pivotal for this prodigious talent, and he’ll be hoping to avoid any further injury setbacks in 2020.
