James McConnell will not leave Liverpool on transfer deadline day following recent talks between Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes.

The midfielder played a starring role in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at PSV Eindhoven last week, McConnell’s first start of the season and first under Slot. So impressive was the 20-year-old’s performance, that the Liverpool boss said post-match it might have convinced him to keep McConnell at the club for the remainder of the season.

"I liked him a lot today. Maybe the end result today would be good for him to go and play [elsewhere] but he is a player who hasn't played a lot in the last six or seven months as he was injured for a while. He impressed me a lot today.”

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However, speaking on Friday, Slot confirmed he would discuss the futures of McConnell and Jayden Danns with Hughes before the deadline.

“These are also ongoing discussions we have,” he told reporters ahead of the Premier League game against Bournemouth. “You know how it is in football, yesterday can be different from today and tomorrow.

“If I can give you a certain answer now and – of course, we are not hoping that this is going to happen – if they then leave the training pitch and we are three injuries along the training session then it’s going to be a different answer. So it’s a process we are discussing a lot about and these decisions will be pushed towards the end of the window – which is almost there.”

Liverpool.com understands a decision has since been made to retain McConnell’s services with a loan move being considered next summer. Slot was the driving factor in the academy graduate remaining at the club until the end of the season, and there are plans to reward McConnell with minutes in the FA Cup and substitute appearances where possible in the Premier League.

McConnell has made 12 senior appearances, including three in the league under Jurgen Klopp. However, an injury at the start of this season stunted his development and scuppered the chance of a possible loan move last summer.

Fit once again, the talented midfielder could prove to be a useful option for Liverpool in the final months of the 2024/25 campaign and he’ll hope to add to his winner’s medal from the Carabao Cup last term.