Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe looks set to spend the season on loan somewhere, but as we march ever closer to the end of the transfer window, exactly where he’s going to end up remains an open ended question.
The 18-year old looked set to join Championship side Bolton Wanderers after boss Dougie Freedman appeared to have beaten off competition for the promising attacker, but they’ve since ruled themselves out with Derby County looking like his final destination and, at this time anyway, they look to be leading the race for his signature. Although it’s believed that Reds manager Brendan Rodgers sees a bright future for Ibe at Anfield, the addition of significant attacking options over the summer coupled with the youngsters relative inexperience at the top level means a loan would be best for all parties involved.
Rams boss Steve McClaren hopes he gets to be a party to that party. “He is not in the building yet, not through the door” said the former England supremo when asked where talks over a loan deal where at. “We are hoping to meet the player and his step-father today and we will see what progresses from there. I have to speak to Liverpool again and somehow get a meeting and see where we go. I think his agent and step-father have an opinion on it and so we will get round the table and see if it is a viable thing to do.”
Ibe impressed during Liverpool’s pre-season tour of North America, but the additions of Lazar Markovic from Benfica and Mario Balotelli from AC Milan along with the rise to prominence of fellow youngster Raheem Sterling has made the Reds first team difficult to break in to.
More on this as it develops…
