Report: Liverpool forced to sell 21-year-old defender this summer due to Premier League regulations

Liverpool are expected to part ways with 21-year-old right-back Calvin Ramsay this summer due to unavoidable squad registration challenges tied to Premier League rules.

The Scottish defender, who joined from Aberdeen in 2022 and has made just two senior appearances, is now likely to be let go primarily because he doesn’t meet the criteria to be considered homegrown.

According to OneFootball, Ramsay could have qualified as homegrown if he had ended the season at Wigan Athletic instead of Kilmarnock. Playing for a club outside of the FA or FAW system cost him the necessary three-year registration before turning 21, even though he battled injuries once again this year.

Ramsay’s injury record has also been a concern — he’s missed 46 matches over the past three seasons — hampering what was seen as a highly promising career.

Liverpool had to submit a reduced 21-man squad for the second half of last season, including only six homegrown players. With Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid, that number drops to five, putting added pressure on Arne Slot and the recruitment team to balance the squad by parting ways with non-homegrown players.

The situation is made worse by several Under-21s, including Ramsay, Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah, and Conor Bradley, aging out of youth exemption eligibility next season — intensifying the selection crunch.

Given Ramsay’s ongoing injury issues and non-homegrown status, he’s become a likely candidate for a summer exit — even with his potential role as backup to Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.

Liverpool have already added non-homegrown talent like Florian Wirtz this window, and with more signings such as Alexander Isak potentially on the way, clearing space becomes essential. Offloading Ramsay would help create the room needed to reshape the squad as the club continues its rebuild under its title-winning head coach.