21 January 2024 , 19:58
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Jurgen Klopp's decision to bring on Owen Beck for the final seven minutes of Liverpool's thrashing of Bournemouth means the defender will not be able to move this month.
Beck spent the first-half of the campaign at Scottish Premiership side Dundee, with the left-back impressing. Liverpool decided to recall him from that loan spell earlier this month amid an injury crisis in defence.
First, Andy Robertson dislocated his shoulder, with the Scotland captain now having spent three months on the sidelines. Then, back-up left-back Kostas Tsimikas broke his collarbone during a clash with Arsenal in December.
That has led to Klopp deploying centre-back Joe Gomez as an emergency left-back, with the Reds boss turning to Beck as his back-up. His cameo in the 4-0 win over the Cherries means that the youngster will now spent the rest of the campaign back at Anfield.
That is a blow to former Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, who had been eyeing a move for Beck for his Celtic side. The defender has been heavily linked with a move to Celtic Park over the course of this month.
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But FIFA rules state that a player is not able to play for more than two teams in one season. With Beck having made 20 appearances for Dundee and now one for Liverpool, his limit has now been reached.
The 21-year-old can still return to Dundee if Liverpool agree to send him back out on loan once Robertson returns to fitness. Dundee admitted their disappointment that Beck had been recalled after his impressive performances.
The defender earned a call-up to the Welsh national squad for the first time during his spell with the Dark Blues. The Scottish side did leave the door open to a return for the youngster in the future.
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Owen Beck's cameo against Bournemouth has ruled him out of a January transfer move (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)But Klopp has already shut down any suggestion that Beck will be departing before his senior left-backs have returned. The German was pleased to see the Welshman make "big steps" at Dundee but insisted Liverpool now need him.
“It was good. So, we always saw and were pretty positive about Owen but then he had two really difficult loan spells, which was a surprise that it didn’t work out because of what we thought about Owen," Klopp said.
"But that’s how it is, especially with young boys when you send them away from home and stuff like this. Plenty of things can happen there and it always needs to fit really well – it must be the right manager, must be the right team.
"If you have another left-back there and he has experience… there are so many things [that] can make a loan spell not really happening. That was probably for him the case and now in Dundee it was fine.
"He made big steps, and now the situation here is clear: we lose two of our left-backs so we think it makes sense if a boy we like is available for us, we bring him back. That’s all.”