Liverpool are currently nurturing the most exciting crop of youth talent that the club has boasted for a very long time, and manager Jurgen Klopp will be eager to bring some more to the first team over the next few years.
Of course, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones are important members of Klopp’s system and both made their debuts under the German’s leadership, but genuine prospects were few and far between before the recent improvements.
The Premier League giants currently have the likes of Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic and Jarell Quansah wedging their way into Klopp’s plans, but there are a wealth of options awaiting a chance just below the surface, with perhaps none more gifted than Mateusz Musialowski.
Mateusz Musialowski’s style of play
Take one glance at Musialowski’s highlight reel, and you might shake your head incredulously as you try to understand why Klopp has yet to hand this mercurial star his first-team debut.
Alas, for all Musialowski’s innate ability, questions have been raised regarding his off-the-ball activity, and after plundering 26 goals contributions across his first two campaigns in England, he scored just twice last season, falling out of favour in the penultimate year of his contract.
Liverpool signed the Pole from SMS Lodz in 2020 and he has since gone on to captivate onlookers with his tricks and skills, though inconsistency and his purported attitude have alienated him from contention for a senior call-up.
There is a chance that the player of “ridiculous” quality – as he has been praised by reporter Lewis Bower – might be salvaging his chances of a breakthrough, with the 20-year-old currently enjoying the most fruitful form of his budding career.
Indeed, this season Musialowski has posted six goals and two assists from just eight appearances, having scored across all three of Liverpool’s ventures in the EFL Trophy against senior opposition.
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Mateusz Musialowski: EFL Trophy Stats |
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|---|---|
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Appearances |
3 |
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Goals |
3 |
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Assists |
1 |
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Pass completion |
76% |
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Shots per game |
3.7 |
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Key passes per game |
1.7 |
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Ball recoveries per game |
4.7 |
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Dribbles per game |
2.7 |
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*Sourced via Sofascore |
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While Musialowski’s future is very much up in the air right now – it seemed he was certain to leave Merseyside this summer – his recent form has been the best way to prove his worth, and he might even be the most naturally talented player within the academy ranks.
How Mateusz Musialowski compares to Ben Doak
Hailed as “excellent” by Andy Kelly, Musialowski might even be more gifted than Doak, though the flourishing Scotsman’s dynamism, athleticism and work-rate have won him a position in Klopp’s senior set-up.
Indeed, Doak has made nine senior appearances for Liverpool and has earned shots from the outset in the Europa League and the Carabao Cup.
Dubbed a “prodigy” by reporter Keifer MacDonald, the 18-year-old is a swashbuckling, breakneck winger with a low centre of gravity to allow him to swivel and weave through the lines, and there is a chance that he will emerge as one of the Premier League’s forwards in the years to come.
Doak has scored 11 goals and supplied eight assists from just 27 matches for Liverpool’s youth sides, though given the prolificness of Musialowski right now, there must be a feeling that he could transport his qualities to the senior stage with careful management over the coming months.
Doak’s application and determination have won him a place in Klopp’s plans, and if his Polish counterpart can ramp up the gas in that department a bit, he may well lead a successful career down the line.
