Liverpool have beaten several clubs to sign highly-rated midfielder Edvard Sandvik Tagseth.
According to Norwegian publication Tronder-Avisa, Liverpool have beaten several clubs, including Manchester City and Everton, to sign Edvard Sandvik Tagseth.
The report states the 14-year-old has been watched by several of the biggest clubs in Europe, but Brendan Rodgers has managed to steal him away from the likes of Manchester City and Everton with a late surge for his signature.
”It feels good to finally be done with it and decided on a club,” Tagseth told Tronder-Avisa. ”[Why Liverpool?] I felt it was the best club for me. I enjoyed myself best there.
”It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was little. It is particularly satisfying to experience it.”
The Norwegian, who has drawn several similarities between himself and Real Madrid’s Martin Odegaard, will remain in Frosta and play for Neset until he turns 16 and moves to England.
Nevertheless, he will spend one week out of each month at Liverpool’s training facilities from this season onwards and will sign his professional contract until 2019 when he turns 17.
How important is this signing for Liverpool?
Although it is nearly impossible to say how the youngster will develop over the next few years, it once again shows Rodgers’ determination to focus on the long term.
Like Joe Gomez, Tagseth was a player that was in demand by a number of clubs yet decided that a move to Liverpool would be the best for his future.
The willingness to give young players time to develop and a real route to first team opportunities, as shown by Raheem Sterling and Jordon Ibe, has clearly had an affect on the club’s reputation over the past few years.
Rodgers’ short-term future may well be in doubt, and will be even more so if he has a poor start to the season, but he is still clearly planning on the bigger picture.
As long as he can keep the fans on his side in the short term, the Reds could continue to build something special for the future.
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