Liverpool cut short Ryan Kent's Freiburg loan spell as Cameron Brannagan heads for permanent exit

Liverpool have cut short winger Ryan Kent's loan with Bundesliga side Freiburg and are now looking to send him out on loan to a Championship club in England.

The 21-year-old joined the German club at the start of the season and was expected to remain there until the end of the campaign. But a lack of first-team football – just six appearances in the league in the first-half of the season – has seen Liverpool bring him back to Anfield.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Kent returned to Anfield for Christmas and has been training with the Liverpool Under-23 team. He was expected to play for the Reds reserves against Arsenal in Premier League 2 on Sunday (7 January), but the game was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Liverpool are now expected to send him on loan for the remainder of the campaign to a club in the Championship in the hope that he gets regular first-team experience. Kent spent the season at Barnsley last season.

The Reds winger impressed with The Tykes making 47 appearances and winning the young player of the year award in the process. The Merseyside club are keen to find Kent another club in the Championship that will offer him similar opportunities.

Liverpool have thus far sanctioned one loan deal – Corey Whelan joined League Two Yeovil Town – and are yet to make decisions on Ben Woodburn and Ovie Ejaria. The former has attracted interest from Sunderland with Black Cats manager confirming interest in signing young players.

Another youngster Cameron Brannagan, meanwhile, looks poised to leave Liverpool on a permanent basis with Oxford being touted as his final destination. The Reds midfielder is said to be keen to play regularly and is ready to move to League One to secure the same.

The Liverpool Echo reports that Brannagan travelled to the Kassam Stadium on Monday (8 January) to discuss personal terms and is set to put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half year deal. Liverpool are expected to receive a fee of around £200,000 for a player who has been at their academy since the age of five.