Liverpool youngster Luca Stephenson enhanced his reputation on loan at Dundee United last season – and is already confirmed to have interest in a new transfer.
Stephenson spent the 2024/25 campaign in Scotland after making a surprise impact under Arne Slot in pre-season, and went on to earn his club’s Young Player of the Season award.
Such was his impact over 34 appearances for a Dundee United side who will enter the UEFA Conference League qualifiers after finishing fourth that a new deal is already under consideration.
Speaking to the Courier, manager Jim Goodwin confirmed his interest in re-signing Stephenson.
“I’d love to bring Luca back, but he’s under contract at Liverpool, so we’ll just need to wait and see what happens with that,” he explained.
Goodwin added that he has a “good relationship” with Matt Newberry, former director of loan pathways at Liverpool who is now in the role of director of global football, and hopes that will help engineer at least one deal.
“They’ve got a fantastic academy down there, as you’d imagine, so we’ll try and tap into that again in the summer,” he revealed.
“I’ve already identified a couple of really good ones, but it’s just whether we can get them to Scotland or not.
“It’s a relationship that we’ll continue to try and work on. They’re a great club to deal with.”
While there will be an eye on another possible loan, perhaps for a player like Calum Scanlon or Trent Kone-Doherty, the focus will be on bringing Stephenson back.
The 21-year-old has a year left on his contract at Liverpool and will sit down with the club to discuss his future in the coming weeks.
Interviewed by DUTV shortly before the end of the season, Stephenson admitted he would be open to a permanent switch to Tannadice Park.
“I’ve held a couple of talks with the club here. I will be going back down the road in the next week or so and no doubt there will be words spoken down there,” he revealed, having seen his campaign end early due to injury.
“I’m into the last year of my deal next season, so there will have to be some conversation about whether it’s staying at Liverpool for a new deal or whether it’s going elsewhere.
“Obviously I have no idea at the minute where that’ll be, whether it could be back here, whether it could be somewhere else.
“The year I’ve had here, if I can replicate that again, I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t want to play my football back up here.”
