LIVERPOOL TEENAGER Bobby Duncan has completed his €2 million transfer to Fiorentina.
The 18-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the Serie A outfit, after Liverpool accepted an improved offer on Monday.
Fiorentina had seen two loan offers for Duncan rejected by the Reds, who felt that a loan move without an obligation to buy — and with no penalty clauses should the player not feature for the first team — served no purpose.
Duncan had expressed his desire to leave Liverpool last month, and matters came to a head in an incendiary statement released on Twitter by Saif Rubie, his representative, last week.
In it, Rubie accused Liverpool of “mentally bullying” and “destroying the life” of Duncan, and singled out sporting director Michael Edwards and Academy director Alex Inglethorpe for criticism. Duncan, he said, had been unable to leave his house due to stress, and would not be returning to the club in any circumstance.
Liverpool issued a statement rebutting the claims, and said they would endeavour to find an acceptable resolution. That resolution came over the weekend as Fiorentina came back to the table with a permanent offer, with Liverpool insisting upon a 20% sell-on clause in the deal.
The deal represents a significant profit for Liverpool, who paid just £200,000 to sign Duncan from Manchester City last July. The boyhood Red, whose cousin is Kop legend Steven Gerrard, enjoyed a prolific campaign with the U18s, scoring 33 goals and helping Barry Lewtas’ side to FA Youth Cup glory — beating City in the final in April.
Duncan had already featured for Neil Critchley’s U23 side, and spent pre-season with Jurgen Klopp’s senior squad. He scored in their opening friendly of the summer, a 6-0 win at Tranmere in July, describing it as “a dream come true” and featured on the club’s three-game tour of the USA later that month.
Relations, though, have been strained, with Duncan dismayed by the rejection of the loan offers from Fiorentina, as well as one from Danish outfit FC Nordsjaelland. Finally though, on the last day of the summer window, he has got his transfer.
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