Liverpool youngster James Balagizi will spend next season on loan with Crawley Town after signing a new contract at Anfield.
Balagizi was scooped up from Man City's academy aged 11 and has developed nicely on Merseyside, routinely playing above his age group - he was playing with the Under 18 group when he was 15 and scored a brace on his debut. Now 18, the attacking midfielder will join League Two side for the 2022/23 campaign.
Crawley boss Kevin Betsy worked with Balagizi with the England youth teams, handing him his debut at 15 and then pairing back up with the Under-18 team. The opportunity of bringing in a player with 'great pedigree' was something Betsy could not pass up.
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“We are really thankful to Liverpool for allowing James to join us on loan," Betsy told Crawley's official website. "He is an extremely talented young man who I have known for a very long time. He is highly thought of at Liverpool, so for them to send him to us and trust us with a real asset of theirs speaks volumes for the football club.
"James can be a box-to-box to midfielder with great athleticism and speed. He can also play a real defensive role at times, as he is really astute in his positioning. A real class act who I believe will show his quality once he gets on the pitch for us. This really is a fantastic signing for us as he already has a great pedigree and has played for his national side at such a young age.”
On the switch, Balagizi said: “I am over the moon to sign here, and I feel like this is the right move for myself and my family. My relationship with Kevin is what brought me to the club as he was in my ear and telling me that I should join. However, after he spoke to me, I did some research on the club, and I really liked the project that they are building here.”
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