Bobby Clark is wanted by at least 7 clubs after Liverpool reject £6m offer

Liverpool midfielder Bobby Clark has already been the subject of a failed £6 million bid this month, with at least seven clubs hoping to sign the 19-year-old.

It was reported on Saturday that the Reds had rejected an offer from Austrian side Salzburg – managed by Pepijn Lijnders – for the highly rated Clark.

Salzburg’s bid was worth £6 million, but sources including The Athletic‘s James Pearce report that Liverpool will not accept anything below £12 million.

Whether the club would even sell Clark remains to be seen, with the midfielder missing a crucial opportunity this summer as a back injury has ruled him out of pre-season under Arne Slot.

That has thwarted him when it comes to forcing his way into the new head coach’s plans, but there is no indication that he is not already being considered.

It is more likely that the teenager is allowed to leave on loan in order to gain more first-team experience, Pearce claims, with a number of clubs interested.

According to the Liverpool Echo‘s Paul Gorst, Championship clubs Norwich, Leeds, Sheffield United and Coventry are all tracking Clark, as well as Salzburg, Celtic and Rangers.

He was previously wanted by both Preston and Derby, though it is unclear whether either club is in the frame this summer.

Clark himself is described as being “open to a loan move,” which is understandable given he has already developed beyond academy Football.

Slot already has Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic and Tyler Morton as senior midfield options.

Decisions will also be made over whether the likes of James McConnell and Luca Stephenson stay or head out on loan, while there are high hopes for 17-year-old Trey Nyoni.

It is a competitive group that could change further with the addition of another defensive midfielder, while it is not clear exactly where Clark would fit in.

Perhaps that could become more apparent after a campaign of regular starts elsewhere, with the youngster surely too talented a player to simply sell this summer.

Liverpool signed Clark from Newcastle in 2021, in a deal worth £1.5 million, with that effectively paid for as forward Ethan Ennis joined Man United for the same fee weeks prior.

He has already played 14 times for the first team, including three starts last season, and scored his first goal in the 6-1 victory over Sparta Prague in March.

The No. 8 and No. 10 roles in Slot’s new-look midfield could arguably suit his style of play, but the likelihood is that this will not be seen until the next campaign.