Six youngsters Sunderland could sign on loan from Liverpool as part of their 'friendship'; Sunderland owner Stewart Donald is hoping that by being cooperative with Liverpool they will set up a friendship that will benefit the Black Cats.
Byline: Craig Johns
Liverpool will sign two Sunderland youngsters this summer after poaching them from the club's esteemed academy.
The Reds have taken advantage ofthe Black Cats' demise and convinced two young prospects under the age of 17 to join their academy instead.
Sunderland were powerless to stop it due to rules preventing contracts to under-17s, but the club are due compensation from the Champions League holders.
That said, rather than be awkward, once chairmanStewart Donaldrealised he could not convince the pair to stay, he was instead cooperative with Liverpool, negotiating a compensation deal that includes sell-on clauses that the club may benefit from years down the line.
However, the thinking behind Donald's cooperation, he revealed recently on the Roker Rapport Podcast, was to try and establish a close working relationship with the Merseysiders that might see Sunderland benefit from with loan signings too.
And reports since have suggested Jack Ross' squad will include at least one Liverpool youngster on loan next term.
We take a look at six potential loan signings from the Reds' academy.
Kelleher is a highly-rated young Irish goalkeeper who played a big part in the Reds' pre-season games last summer.
So highly rated by Klopp, the 20-year-old was named on the bench for the Champions League final recently.
He's yet to make a competitive first team appearance, however, and Liverpool might be tempted to loan him out this season.
The big issue is they'd want him to play though and it would take a lot to displace Jon McLaughlin in between the sticks at the Stadium of Light.
And if Max Stryjek stays, as hoped, it would be harsh to prioritise Kelleher's development over your own academy star's by playing him in cup games ahead of the Polish youth international.
If Stryjek doesn't stay though, Kelleher could be an interesting option for Ross' squad.
Sunderland certainly need to improve all of their defensive positions this summer and Phillips is a tad older and more experienced than your average loan signing, but could also benefit from a loan spell away from Anfield.
Klopp is said to be a big fan of the 22-year-old centre-back and regularly has him training in the first team, while he also captains the Reds' second string.
However, injuries have somewhat held back his progression and a loan spell playing regularly could be just what he needs.
Described as brave and willing to put his body on the line, Phillips is 6ft 2in, which is...
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