Liverpool wonderkid Woodburn wanted by seven clubs

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Bengaluru, December 28: Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn has as many as seven clubs interested in signing him in January’s biggest tug-of-war.

The Wales forward, 18, has Championship sides Leeds, Norwich and Preston North End and Sunderland in the race to land him for the rest of the campaign.

Meanwhile, there is interest from the Premier League as well with Brighton and Hove Albion, Huddersfield and Swansea City all looking for the signature of the Welshman.

Newly-appointed Sunderland boss Chris Coleman has made the teenager his No1 target for the window but now faces major competition to secure one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League.

The former Welsh national team manager is one of the Championship managers who have been encouraged that Jurgen Klopp could let Woodburn out for experience.

The 18-year-old is expected to eventually be a first-team regular at Anfield but Jurgen Klopp is open to the idea of him having a spell in the second tier.

Woodburn has made just one appearance for the Reds this season which was in the loss against Leicester City in the English League Cup.

The Welsh wonderkid has also been rewarded for his progress with a new contract and scored on his international debut, aged 17, to make him Wales’ second youngest scorer.

It was none other than Chris Coleman who awarded the youngster his first crack at senior level international football and Jurgen Klopp will surely prefer to hand his biggest young talent to the former Welsh manager.

Klopp insisted: "Our target is that we have him in the first-team because we like him, we see his quality and that's the main thing.”

Before Coleman quit as Wales boss, he used Woodburn against Austria, Moldova, Georgia, Ireland, France and Panama.

Last season, Woodburn broke Michael Owen's record by becoming Liverpool's youngest goalscorer, netting against Leeds aged 17 years and 45 days.

But this season, he has not been used much by Klopp as there is plenty of competition for places and it would be best for the youngster if he gets regular football on loan.