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Sources: Liverpool agree deal to sign Owen - 'he can surprise a few'
Liverpool have agreed an £800,000 deal to sign highly-rated Wolves youngster Harvey Owen, sources have told Football Insider.
The 14-year-old, who has previously represented England at under-15 level, is set to join the Merseyside club’s youth set-up this summer.
He had been part of Wolves’ academy from the age of seven, but has been poached by the Reds as they continue a post-Brexit push for homegrown talent.
Football Insider understands that Wolves have negotiated a fee that exceeds the statutory compensation they would have been due.
Prior to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, Liverpool had been able to search further afield for potential stars to bolster their youth ranks, with Stefan Bajcetic perhaps the best recent example of that strategy in action.
However, new rules mean the club’s focus has had to shift toward poaching outstanding British talent, and Owen certainly appears to fit that bill.
Wolves academy coach Wes Hughes recently said of the young defender: “Harvey was introduced to the group last year as a 13-year-old playing in the under-15s youth cup. The boys went on and did quite well in the competition and got to the semi-final – Harvey was a part of that journey and the boys really took to him as a younger player.
“He’s a right-footed player who likes to play on the left side at the back – whether that’s in a back three or a back four. He’s come on leaps and bounds in terms of his football. We truly believe if he can overcome some difficulties and embrace some of the adversity, he can surprise a few.
“We recently played at Tottenham and he had a nice pat on the back from an ex-player in Yaya Toure. He personally went up to Harvey and said that he had a lot of potential and would be a really good player in the future, so I think he’ll be really proud of that.”
Meanwhile, a big update on Liverpool’s interest in Ugarte can be revealed.