“Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who doubts he will ever play for Liverpool, was angling for a permanent move away from Anfield during the recent transfer window, he told ESPN.
Awoniyi signed for the Reds in 2015, but an inability to secure a work permit has meant that he has been farmed out on loan every season for the last five years.
The 23-year-old is currently on loan at FC Union Berlin, after previous spells at FSV Frankfurt, NEC, Mouscron (twice), and Gent. Last season, he was at Mainz.
A number of factor have combined to deny Awoniyi the chance to gather the required number of international caps to secure his permit. Odion Ighalo’s goal-scoring, Victor Osimhen’s breakout performances, not to mention his own club level instability, all combined to scupper his chances.
So five years and seven loan deals later, Awoniyi says although he loves Liverpool, he is uncertain about whether he would ever play for the club.
“It is my dream to play for Liverpool,” he told ESPN. “But me playing for Liverpool has to do with getting my work permit.
“Without it, there is no chance for me discussing about playing for Liverpool for now.”
Taiwo Awoniyi signed for Liverpool in 2015 but has only ever trained with them, going out on loan seven times in five seasons. Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
As a result, he discussed making a permanent move away from Anfield this past window.
He said: “This season was maybe a bit tough to make the decision because honestly, I was hoping to leave permanently.
“Liverpool have been great, they have been so supportive and we always talk with the director and every time, they tell me to be patient.
“But the reason I discussed something permanent this season was just that I felt most loans I have been to, have not really been the way I want it.
“And I felt like it happens that way because the loan players get less of an advantage than the players of their own club. “That was what made me think, okay, maybe it’s time to find a home with my family.”
Awoniyi says the constant moving every season — sometimes in the middle of the football campaign — takes its toll on his young family.
He explained: “It’s something really difficult, I must confess. I could remember when I was moving from Gent back to Mouscron, I had to pack my stuff in my car, with my wife.
“It was totally difficult and getting to a new environment, meeting different players each year, different system, different atmosphere, it takes a lot from you because what you meet there is totally different from what you meet in the other places.”
Taiwo Awoniyi scored for Union Berlin against FC Cologne in late November, and a week later registered an assist.
He admits, though, that the diverse experiences have helped develop him into a better player: “It’s really what makes me who I am today because you meet different people that you learn with.
“And with the clubs I’ve been to, different coaches, really experienced ones, you learn a lot from them and each year you gain something to add to your game. I think is what is structuring me to be who I am now.”
Last weekend, Awoniyi scored his first goal in six games for Union. He followed that up with an assist this Saturday against Eintracht Frankfurt as Union continue flying high in the Bundesliga.
It was a goal that meant a lot to him and left him pumped: “Every striker wants to score. I am a player that also wants to work for the team. And to make the work you are doing on the field count is when you score the goals.”
“The first three games I started, I really put in a lot of work and everyone was impressed. Some of my teammates were really feeling bad because I had not scored before then.
“Getting that goal was really something that that gave me the joy that finally it came. But now, I just have to forget about it and look forward to the to the next one.”