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Liverpool are minded to include central midfielder Ovie Ejaria as part of the loan package which will bring Ben Woodburn to the Stadium of Light for the rest of the season.
Ejaria is another Anfield prospect in need of game time and league experience, and with Sunderland in desperate need of reinforcements in the middle of the park, the deal would make sense for all parties.
The 20-year-old made it to the fringes of the Liverpool first team last season before a nasty ligament injury curtailed his progress. Leeds United had agreed a deal to take Ejaria on loan last January before he was sidelined for three months.
The Londoner grew up supporting Arsenal and was with the Gunners academy until the age of 17. Born to Nigerian parents, his full name is Oviemuno Dominic O. Ejaria.
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Ejaria caught the eye of Jurgen Klopp during the summer of 2016 with some impressive performances in a handful of pre-season friendlies. A first team debut followed in the September with a maiden League Cup outing before a Premier League bow at Anfield in November ‘16.
A tall and physically strong presence in midfield, Ejaria looked set to be a regular in Liverpool matchday squads before his injury. He returned to the Anfield Under-23 set-up last April and performed sufficiently well to earn a call up to the U20 World Cup with England in May.
Ejaria made a couple of appearances in pre-season with the Reds but hasn’t made the first team bench yet this term and there’s a feeling on Merseyside he may need to prove himself all over again.
A stint in the Championship would do just that, particularly in a Sunderland side crying out for options in central midfield.
With Darron Gibson out for a couple of months and Lee Cattermole and Didier Ndong nowhere to be seen, Chris Coleman is down to the bare bones in the middle of the park.
Youngsters Ethan Robson and Elliot Embleton both got time on the pitch against Middlesbrough on Saturday but Sunderland would benefit greatly from some athleticism and strength in there. Ejaria would offer just that. Once hailed the ‘English Pogba’, he could well be on his way to Wearside this week.