Despite the fact that he is no longer a Liverpool player, one former Jurgen Klopp favorite may still make the Merseyside club a tidy profit if he secures another transfer.
Liverpool’s FA Cup defense begins this weekend against Wolves, setting up a reunion with one of their past prospects.
Last season, Jurgen Klopp’s side defeated Chelsea in the final at Wembley Stadium to win the prestigious championship for the first time since 2006. A few familiar names will be keeping a careful eye on the outcome of their first match in the league this time around.
Diogo Jota, who is injured, will support the Reds against his previous club, while Ki-Jana Hoever will root for his current club, Wolves. The 20-year-old Dutchman is now on loan at PSV Eindhoven, with the Reds keeping a close eye on him as they hope for a large windfall.
Liverpool received £13.5 million in the transaction that brought him from Anfield to Molineux in 2020, and they still have an option in his contract that allows them to get 15% of any money Wolves gain if they sell him in the future. During his time at Liverpool, Klopp was a big supporter of the youngster and predicted big things for him.
“He [Hoever] is one for the future, of course, but what we will do with him now, I don’t know,” the German stated before of his debut in the FA Cup against Wolves. He is 16 years old and will turn 17 in a few days. Ki-Jana would not have been in training with the first team if Joel [Matip] and Joe [Gomez] had been fit all of the time, but he was and still is.
“It’s a delight to see him. He is a terrific, confident young man who is also a fantastic footballer. It’s good that we can see him every day. It’s fantastic.”
Should Ki-Jana Hoever have stayed at Liverpool? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Despite catching the eye in the aforementioned match, Hoever was swiftly on the move, later criticizing the rate at which he was permitted to advance at Anfield. “By no means did I expect something like that when I had joined with the club,” the kid remarked after joining Wolves.
“That I would make my debut within six months, whereas before that, I played my matches in the under-17s at Ajax. That all happened in a flash. That’s also challenging since it doesn’t go as fast after that.”
The former Ajax youngster then claimed the choice to wave farewell to Anfield was the “best thing for his career”. “It wasn’t an easy option, but it wasn’t that difficult either,” he remarked.
“I knew my playing time would be higher than at Liverpool, that’s why I made the move. It seemed like the greatest thing for my career at the time.
“Of course, given the injuries [at Liverpool], you never know, but I don’t think that way. I was just thinking, if everyone was fit, how much gaming time would I get? Liverpool still has a tremendous squad, maybe the finest back four in the world, so it was really difficult for me to get through there.”
Despite that evaluation, Hoever’s time with the Wolves has not been without incident. Over two seasons, he received only 25 appearances for the Midlands club, with previous manager Bruno Lage criticizing his match preparation.
In order to obtain more first-team experience, the young defender chose to return to his homeland and join PSV on a season-long loan. He has only made eight appearances for the Eredivisie side since, in what appears to be the latest chapter of a miserable career.
Fortunately for Hoever, he is still just 20 years old and has plenty of time to get back on track and secure the Reds what might be a valuable monetary windfall. However, he will most likely be focused on this weekend’s FA Cup match between Liverpool and Wolves.
Leave a Reply