Liverpool Signs Zimbabwean Teenager Trey Nyoni
Liverpool have completed the signing of Zimbabwean midfielder Trey Nyoni following his departure at Leicester City last month.
The 16-year-old will join the club’s Academy for further development.
Nyoni was with the Leicester City Academy for a decade before his departure
He turned out for the Foxes in the U18 Premier League last season and also played for the under-21 side against Porto in the Premier League International Cup in December, while he was still 15.
Born in the UK to Zimbabwean parents, Trey has represented England at U15 but is still eligible to switch this allegiance to Zimbabwe.
He will link up with another player of Zimbabwean descent at Liverpool, Isaac Mabaya.
Mabaya recently returned to action after spending eight months recovering from an injury.
Nyoni is highly rated but little-known.
So, what do you need to know about Liverpool’s latest academy acquisition?
INTERNATIONAL WINNER
Born in England, in 2007, Nyoni is also eligible to represent Zimbabwe through his parentage.
He has featured for the Three Lions at youth level – scoring and grabbing an assist on his debut for England Under-16s in a 3-2 friendly victory over Italy last year. That remains his only international goal in seven outings.
He also featured as England Under-16s won the Montiagu Tournament in France earlier this year, though he was on the bench for the final victory over Japan.
TREY NYONI’S POSITION AND STYLE OF PLAY
Nyoni is a midfielder, who has played centrally and on the wing.
Unsurprisingly, there is little in video or writing about his talents just yet, except that is supposedly one of the hottest young prospects at his level.
He spent a decade at Leicester before joining Liverpool and, having first been called up back in December, Nyoni featured regularly for the Foxes’ Under-18s last season, despite only turning 16 this June.
Fabrizio Romano also called him a “talented midfielder” for whatever that’s worth (I’m sure he’s watched him loads), while @TheSecretScout on Twitter (who first broke Liverpool’s interest) describes him as “one of the best in his age groups”.
He is said to be tall for his age and is known for his technical ability and close control.
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TRANSFER FEE
Earlier this month it was reported by @TheSecretScout that Liverpool and Leicester had failed to agree a compensation package for Nyoni and the clubs will instead go to a tribunal to determine his worth. The final fee may ultimately never be known publicly.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Nyoni will likely now slot straight into Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s Under-18s side for this season, with an eye on his progression.
In the post-Brexit years, the Reds have made a concerted effort to land top-level British academy talent such as Bobby Clark and Ben Doak – as well as 14-year-old defender Harvey Owen, who cost up to £800k from Wolves earlier this summer.
Should Nyoni’s development continue as planned, he will likely get chances in the Under-21s and may even one day feature for the first team, following in the footsteps of academy graduates like Stefan Bajcetic and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
