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Liverpool should steer Dominic Solanke away from West Ham

Jurgen Klopp manager (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke is reportedly being chased by both West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

Dominic Solanke of Liverpool in action during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield on May 13, 2018 in Liverpool, England.

It was reported by The Sun over the weekend that Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke is a January target for both West Ham and Crystal Palace as he continues to struggle for game-time at Anfield.

Solanke has not featured for the Reds this season despite making 21 Premier League appearances last term. And he could be offered the chance to leave Merseyside during the next window.

The Sun reports that Crystal Palace and West Ham are keen on taking Solanke on loan for the second-half of the campaign as they both look to bolster their goalscoring options.

Should both sides make a move, then Liverpool should arguably have one clear preference regarding where the youngster goes if Jurgen Klopp still sees a future for the forward at Anfield.

At the London Stadium, Solanke is likely to be, at best, second choice behind Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian has continued his remarkable run under Manuel Pellegrini, and five goals in 10 league appearances suggests that he is not going anywhere in the pecking order right now.

Manuel Pellegrini manager

Solanke would face a big fight for game-time if he joined the Irons, so Liverpool would surely need to secure some assurances from Manuel Pellegrini before they allowed the striker to join West Ham.

Meanwhile, the path to the first-team at Selhurst Park is clearly a lot less congested. Roy Hodgson’s men have regularly played with a front two this term.

And although Wilfried Zaha is as important to the Eagles as Arnautovic is to the Irons, none of his attacking teammates are making themselves undroppable. None of their other forwards have scored in the league this season.

Roy Hodgson, Manager of Crystal Palace applauds fans prior to the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on September 22, 2018 in London, United...

That potentially leaves the path clear for Solanke to make himself a key player with Palace if he does move in January and enjoy the kind of game-time that he needs to prove a point to his parent club.

If Liverpool do receive offers from both clubs therefore, their decision on where to send him at this point surely seems fairly simple.