Liverpool CONFIRM deal to sign Man City wonderkid

Liverpool have completed a deal to sign 16-year-old centre-back Lucas Clarke from Manchester City.

The defender will initially join up with the club's under-16 side according to the LFC Academy Instagram account.

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"Delighted to have signed for Liverpool FC," the left-sided stopper wrote on Instagram. "Can’t wait to get started."

It comes as the Reds continue to sign up some of the most promising young talents from around British and Irish academies.

The likes of Ben Doak, James McConnell and Trey Nyoni have moved to Merseyside in recent seasons while hopes are high for another prospect in Rio Ngumoha, who moved to Anfield last summer.

Liverpool's academy is regarded as one of the finest in the country with a well-established pathway to the first team.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones are two of the club's most notable graduates in the past decade or so with Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah also coming through as a homegrown player.

Several academy talents are out on loan this season with Doak, Lewis Koumas and Owen Beck starring in the Championship.

There is a new crop of players waiting for their opportunity to break through including Nyoni, Ngumoha and star defender Amara Nallo.

Liverpool's new academy stars

Furthermore the Reds have also got promising striker Jayden Danns back available, a player well-liked by Jurgen Klopp and who has already scored goals for the first team.

Another youngster, Trent Kone Doherty, scored a beautiful goal for the Reds U19 side during the UEFA Youth League game against Girona on Tuesday.

And even for the players that don't make the breakthrough, there is always the option of first-team football elsewhere.

Sepp van den Berg moved to Brentford last summer after spending four years out on loan. So too did Fabio Carvalho, signed as a teenager from Fulham.

Bobby Clark banked around £10m for the club during the summer when moving to Red Bull Salzburg while winger Harvey Blair also moved on to Portsmouth.

It is not yet known what the future plans will be for Clarke, although this is another significant coup for the Reds at academy level.

Twice in six months they have acquired an academy gem from a big-name rival following the capture of Ngumoha of Chelsea.

The Blues were so incensed by Liverpool's snaring of their youth star that they placed scouting restrictions on them.

READ MORE: Transfer blow as WONDERKID set to join rival