Liverpool are reportedly monitoring Crusaders striker Michael Mulholland, a 15-year-old who is claimed to have once scored 256 goals in a single season.
According to the Mail, the Reds have been watching the Belfast-born attacker, who has represented Northern Ireland at U17 level on three occasions and already has an Adidas sponsorship deal. Per Transfermarkt, he has featured in two NIFL Premiership matches this campaign and found the net once in just 20 minutes of playing time.
Youth recruitment drive continues
Liverpool's recruitment network has continued to lay the groundwork for the future under Andoni Iraola, who took over from Arne Slot. During Slot's reign, the Reds signed Mor Talla Ndiaye from Senegalese side Amitie FC and Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna. Following Iraola's appointment, the club clinched the signing of Colombian youngster Samuel Martinez from Atletico Nacional.
The Spaniard's first transfer window at Anfield was relatively quiet, but it heated up in the final days, with the club adding Genk keeper Lucca Brughmans and Saint-Etienne forward Djylian N'Guessan in the past month.
Long-term planning and market challenges
The Reds have demonstrated their financial power over the past two years with the £100m-plus acquisitions of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola. However, an emphasis on long-term planning has seen the Reds strengthen their youth set-up with international prospects.
Leading this charge is Matt Newberry, who has served as the club's 'director of global talent' since 2024. He has overseen Liverpool's scouting operations across the globe, guiding the club to pip Real Madrid to Brughmans' signature — a player widely tipped to become the long-term heir to Thibaut Courtois.
The prohibition on British clubs signing European players under the age of 18, combined with the far-reaching consequences of Brexit, has pushed up the cost of securing homegrown talent. Longstanding Liverpool academy director Alex Inglethorpe remarked earlier this year: "The market is more competitive now around the age of 16 than it's ever been. There's no question that since Brexit, the landscape has changed and it's driven up the price of young English talent."
Exceptions do exist, however, with the club having secured the signatures of Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni from Chelsea and Leicester City, respectively, in recent years.
