Tranmere are interested in bringing Liverpool forward Paul Glatzel back to Prenton Park again this summer, but the move may have to wait.
Glatzel spent last season on loan with Rovers, and despite a slow start, the youngster adapted brilliantly and was a standout performer in the second half of the season – when fitness and injury allowed.
And therein lies the challenge.
There is no doubting the talent the young forward has and added to his work ethic and his determination to make last season’s spell work, there is a lot to be excited about if Rovers can get the deal done. However, there will be some hesitation owing to the player’s injury record.
Glatzel has had a tough time of it on the injury front. Since first picking up a serious knee injury ironically against Tranmere playing in a pre-season game for Liverpool a few years back, the youngster has suffered several setbacks.
Last season saw him hit with two hamstring injuries just when he had found form and was showing himself to be one of Tranmere’s best attacking options. So much so, he managed to score 7 goals and get 6 assists in just 21 appearances. Very impressive, especially when you consider how tough it was for him to adapt to League Two in the early days of last season.
Currently, Glatzel is back doing some training again but has not yet featured in any pre-season fixture for Liverpool (in any age group) as he steps up his recovery from the injury that ended his campaign at Rovers last season.
Liverpool under-21s manager, Barry Lewtas, spoke about Glatzel’s current situation this week.
Lewtas said: “At the moment, he has been training a little bit and doing a bit of fitness work,”
“We will see where we are with that one. Paul is still a Liverpool player.
“He picked up an injury at the end of last season, so it is about making sure he is ready to go when he is right. He is all good.”
Lewtas said another loan move for Glatzel this was season was a “potential” option, before adding:
“It is always difficult for me to say about these things.
“Paul, I thought, did extremely well at Tranmere. He scored goals when he played, certainly down the middle, and I thought his development at Tranmere was excellent. Let’s see where that goes.”
We understand Tranmere are very much still interested in the player, and rightly so. He fits the bill perfectly as the type of signing we should be looking at. Young, hard-working, full of potential and clearly very talented.
We’d be surprised to see Glatzel back at the club before the season kicks off on Saturday, however, don’t be surprised if Micky Mellon and James Vaughan plot a move for the forward before the end of the August transfer window if his return to fitness continues to progress.
As to what that potential deal looks like, a loan switch seems most likely. However, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Tranmere will move for him on a permanent basis, perhaps off the back of a further loan as we saw with Lee O’Connor and Josh Hawkes last season.
