Liverpool have handed versatile defender Luke Chambers a new long-term contract, with the 18-year-old likely to be given a chance in pre-season. Chambers was regularly involved with the first team throughout the first half of the campaign, including three outings in pre-season. He was twice named in the matchday squad for competitive games – once in the Premier League, once in the Carabao Cup – before joining Kilmarnock on loan in January. There, the teenager has shone, assisting on his debut and starting 10 of his 11 appearances so far – going unused just once. Set to return to Merseyside ahead of pre-season in July, Chambers has now signed a new contract with Liverpool, only 10 months after last extending his terms. Liverpool confirmed the news on Thursday, with the youngster expected to rejoin the senior setup for preparations for the 2023/24 season. There could be an opening in Jurgen Klopp’s squad, too, following the shift to a new system that requires the left-back to also fill in as a third centre-back. Andy Robertson has, understandably, taken time to adjust to his new duties, while Kostas Tsimikas was left exposed at times during his first test in the role against Fulham.
Intriguingly, Chambers is a natural left-back who spent much of last season as a centre-back for Liverpool under-21s – a role he took up for Kilmarnock in their recent 2-0 win at St Mirren. With Kilmarnock having lost back-to-back games against Aberdeen and Celtic, manager Derek McInnes shifted to a 3-5-2 setup with the Liverpool loanee as his left-sided centre-back. It resulted in a first away win in 407 days, with Chambers winning more tackles (five) and creating more chances (three) than any other player, as well as posting a higher passing accuracy (76%) than any of his team-mates. Watford have already been credited with an interest ahead of the summer, but there is now a chance that Chambers, having signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool, could be given an opportunity to prove himself at Anfield.