Liverpool starlet Sheyi Ojo could leave the club on loan says under-21 boss Michael Beale

Liverpool could allow highly rated winger Sheyi Ojo to leave the club in January with a number of clubs interested in his services, according to Under-21 manager Michael Beale.

The 17-year-old starlet has impressed the Liverpool hierarchy following his arrival from MK Dons in 2011 and has been tipped to follow Raheem Sterling and Jordon Ibe into the Reds' first-team squad.

Both Ojo and Ibe featured in the Under-21 side that lost 2-1 in the match against their Manchester United counterparts at the Leigh Sports Village on Monday 26 January but the defeat has done little to quell interest in the teenage starlet.

Following the game, Beale was asked of Shrewsbury's reported interest in taking Ojo on loan and was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo: "You might be surprised, there is a couple of clubs bigger than that interested in him.

"We've got to make sure it is the right thing for Sheyi and if he goes out that he is going to play and if he's not going to play, he's got to get access – like Conor Randall tonight who's at Shrewsbury – to come back and play for us."

Should Ojo, who was named on the first-team bench in December's league game against Burnley, leave the club on loan, Liverpool will be hoping his move proves to be as beneficial as Ibe's recent spell at Derby County in the Championship.

Ibe, 19, enjoyed an impressive first half of the season with Steve McClaren's side, contributing five goals from 24 appearances in the club's push for promotion to the Premier League before being recalled to Anfield this month.

The winger went straight into Liverpool's first-team squad upon his return and came off the bench in his side's 2-0 win over Aston Villa on 17 January.

Rodgers has already hinted Ibe will not have long to wait for further chances in the first team.