LIVERPOOL look set to lose starlet Ethan Ennis to either Manchester United or Chelsea this summer.
The Reds were reportedly keen to keep the 16-year-old prodigy who rose through the ranks at their academy.
But the midfielder has rejected the Kop’s offer of a scholarship, the Daily Mail reports.
The Reds are now resigned to the fact they will lose the wonderkid, whose three goals for their Under-18 side in the FA Youth Cup last campaign helped them reach the final, although they lost to Aston Villa.
Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s side don’t plan to let Ennis leave on the cheap and will demand a development fee for the youngster, the Mail claim.
And if the Reds and his new club fail to agree terms, the matter will be resolved by a tribunal who will determine Ennis’ final value.
The Reds’ bitter rivals United are said to be favourites to clinch the English dynamo’s signature at this stage.
Chelsea are still in with a shout and Ennis even spent time at their Cobham training ground last week, which he shared on Instagram.
After scoring five goals in just eight games for the Reds U-18’s last season, it’s easy to see why there’s so much interest in Ennis.
To soften the blow of losing the teen sensation, the Reds have managed to pin down a host of his peers to scholarships.
Ten youngsters including other hot prospects Kaide Gordon, Stefan Bajcetic and Calum Scanlon all agreed to signed their first-year scholar terms at the Kop.
The starlets will be hoping to get the same chance to impress the club’s first team boss Jurgen Klopp as colleague Mateusz Musialowski did.
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The Polish winger, who signed his first professional contract with the Reds last week, was one of 12 stars who had the opportunity to show off their talents to Klopp in March.
The 17-year-old joined Liverpool in August last year from UKS SMS Lodz where he scored a staggering 133 goals in just 88 matches.
Musialowski immediately made an impact at Liverpool academy’s ground Kirkby, notching seven goals in 16 games.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
