One unlucky Liverpool signing is still waiting to make his senior debut for the club, six years after first joining the Merseyside club.
The forgotten player, Anderson Arroyo, first joined Liverpool from Colombian side Fortaleza in 2018 after he impressed at the U20s South American Youth Championship.
The 23-year-old, who can play at centre-back and right-back, immediately moved to La Liga side Mallorca on an 18-month loan and was assigned to the B team during his spell at the Spanish club.
That deal was cancelled soon after, with the defender joining Belgian giants Gent. However, he did not make an appearance for the club.
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Further loan spells followed at Czech Republic side Mlada Boleslav and Spanish third tier club Salamanca before he then moved up a division in Spain for the 2021/22 season, joining Mirandes.
It came as something of a surprise to see the defender sign a new contract at Liverpool until 2025 last summer.
He then joined Spanish side Alaves on loan last season, making 22 appearances for the club as they secured promotion back to La Liga.
But he would not return to the club for the 2023/24 season, instead joining second division side FC Andorra – owned by former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.
Arroyo has made 11 appearances in all competitions this season, with 10 of those coming in the league.
Remarkably, six years after joining Liverpool, he is yet to make a single senior appearance for the club.
The reason why Arroyo was initially sent out on loan is because he did not receive a work permit when joining the club.
According to The Sun, Arroyo needs to gain 15 'eligibility points' to be able to play in England.
These are acquired by club minutes, the quality of the league and senior international appearances.
Arroyo is yet to play for Colombia's senior team and his chances of breaking into the Liverpool squad now look slim, even if he is granted a work permit.
It is unclear why Liverpool have kept him on the books, rather than seeking to sell him for a fee.
But no doubt the defender will still have hope of working his way into Jurgen Klopp's plans.
Topics: Liverpool, Transfers, Football, Premier League, Colombia
Rory O'Callaghan