Liverpool Prospect Trey Nyoni: Is This His Season?

It’s no secret many Liverpool fans have wanted to see the club to sign a new defensive midfielder for some time now. Ryan Gravernberch showed his quality when Slot gave him that role and in his first season as the Reds went on to win the 24/25 Premier League title. And at the beginning of the 25/26 campaign he continued to develop his ability to carry the ball upfield and even score on occasion. Yet it remains a position where Liverpool have clearly been lacking for options.

Trey Nyoni, now 19 years

old after signing for Liverpool back in September 2023 from Leicester City, could be that answer. Nyoni spent 10 years with at Leicester, and his departure greatly bothered Leicester supporters. Part of the frustration was simply down to losing a highly rated talent, along with the paltry £800k Liverpool paid.

After arriving, Nyoni made a handful of early appearances, with his senior debut coming in the 23/24 season during the Emirates FA Cup fifth round win against Southampton. Following that, Nyoni found himself under the coaching of Arne Slot who proved to be resistant to rotation and giving chances to youngsters and focused instead on playing a core group of senior players while even options Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa were loaned out or kept on the bench.

So here we are, with Liverpool now under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Andoni Iraola, and with what must feel like an opportunity to impress and make their qualities stand out in the hope of significant playing minutes this coming 26/27 season for Nyoni and some of the other players who failed to impress the Reds’ last head coach.

For Nyoni in particular, who in many ways reminds me of Gravernberch in that he was seen as more of an attacking midfielder but at a pinch, with eyes squinted, he might seem to have a skillset suited to being a little further back in a more defensive role, it is an opportunity.

And it does seem from the two pre-season matches thus far Iraola is indeed interested in trying out Nyoni in a deep role, and especially in the opener against Sunderland it seemed to work well. The proof for me was found in indicators like Dominik Szoboszlai having the freedom to play much more advanced with Nyoni himself looking comfortable breaking plays and offering quick and direct passes forward, rather than carrying the ball upfield himself.

This attitude from young Trey gave me a big smile, and I would like to think Iraola also as he comes across as a coach that doesn’t want to see players spending too long on the ball and always wants them passing positively.

I know it’s early days and only pre-season, yet I get the feeling Nyoni is taking his opportunity while most of the senior players are still returning and that has to be something to applaud. We do have 33-year-old Endo still who can do an adequate job when called upon, but with him announcing his retirement from international football with Japan and turning 34 in February it feels that we really need another dedicated number six.

Could Trey Nyoni be that player? This writer is hopeful he is, and I’m enjoying watching him train hard, bond with the other senior players, and finally settling into this critical moment of his career as a Red.