Bristol City have reportedly held talks with former Liverpool youth star Ranel Young over a potential return to English football.
The Championship clubs are said to be in discussions with the 19-year-old, who was included in Arne Slot’s first-team squad twice last season.
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Young was benched for Liverpool’s 3-2 away win over Brighton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup in October 2024.
He was an unused substitute that night alongside Reds captain Virgil van Dijk, but the teenager was featured again four months later.
The winger was part of the FA Cup squad for a trip to Plymouth in February, but Liverpool’s shock 1-0 defeat kept him off the pitch.
Young, whose contract expired at the end of last season, was offered new terms to stay on Merseyside but turned down a new contract.
Instead, the former youth player from Huddersfield Town surprisingly moved to Serbian second division club FK Usce in July after his promotion.
Young provided one assist in five league games for Goran Dragoljic’s side this season but has not played since September.
The versatile attacker has been missing from Usce’s squad for the last 12 matchdays since playing 45 minutes in the 2-0 win over FK FAP Priboj.
Bristol City are in talks with the former Liverpool youth star
Young’s departure from the Belgrade club, which is bottom of the table after 22 games, has not yet been officially confirmed.
However, the English starlet is listed online as without a club and is now said to have held talks with the Robins Bristol Live.
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The report adds that no agreement has been reached at this stage, but Gerhard Struber’s men are in discussions about a possible move.
Who is Ranel Young?
The FK Usce No. 7 joined Anfield’s youth team as a U12 from youth club Huddersfield and signed his first professional contract in May 2023.
Young, who turns 20 on Boxing Day, is traditionally a winger but was deployed as a number 9 for Liverpool’s Under-21s last season.
Reds head coach Slot then gave him his first senior experience in two domestic cups, with the academy graduate wearing the number 82 jersey.
“In terms of what he gave us at the top, he gave us some really nice moments of quality,” Liverpool’s former under-21 coach Barry Lewtas told the club’s official website in September 2024.
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“He ran after it and showed great enthusiasm off the ball in terms of his energy and work rate.
“He’ll want to score a few more goals because he’s getting into good positions. But he’s certainly working in the right direction at the moment.”
“This is really pleasing for him because I think unfortunately his U18 year last season was cut short for him by injuries.
“The most important thing for us at the moment is to really increase Ranel’s availability and try to get him to play the game consistently.”
Bristol City, meanwhile, are in search of reinforcements next month having picked up just one point from the last nine on offer.
The Robins have scored 28 goals in 21 games and are five points and four places behind Hull City in the final Championship playoff spot.