(Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Liverpool confirm late-window transfer move for defender

Originally posted on Empire of the Kop
By Peter Kenny Jones | Last updated Feb 1, 2026 10:56 AM ET

Liverpool’s transfer activity has already produced an outgoing on the day before the window closes, with the club confirming that 20-year-old full-back Calum Scanlon will spend the rest of the 2025-26 season on loan at Cardiff City.

The club announcement explained that the temporary move has been completed and that Scanlon will be working under Brian Barry-Murphy for the remainder of the campaign, with Cardiff leading League One.

“Liverpool full-back Calum Scanlon will spend the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Cardiff City,” the update read.

It also served as a reminder of how quickly Scanlon has climbed through the academy pathway since joining from Birmingham City FC in 2021, before making a senior debut in October 2023 in a Europa League tie against Toulouse FC at Anfield.

The left-back has had frustrating luck with injuries, with his loan spell at Millwall FC last season ending early because of a setback, which makes this next run of games especially important for his development.

Scanlon loan move offers Liverpool clarity on outgoings

Arne Slot has been clear in recent days that the club’s priority is to strengthen, so any outgoing business tends to be focused on minutes, development and squad balance rather than stripping numbers out of the group.

With supporters still watching for further movement before Monday night, this is the type of deal that feels like sensible housekeeping, because it clears a pathway for a young player to play regularly while keeping him on our books for the longer term.

Scanlon’s Millwall loan numbers before injury

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Below is a simple snapshot of Scanlon’s 24/25 loan output at Millwall before injury, via Sofascore.

Stat (Millwall loan 24/25)	Figure
Appearances (starts)	4 (3)
Minutes	169
Goals	1
xG	0.22
Accurate passes	8.8 per game (88%)
Tackles	1.5 per game
Possession lost	7.3 per game

Those numbers are obviously from a small sample, but they still underline the same theme: Scanlon’s had stop-start availability, and he now needs a stretch of matches where fitness is the headline rather than setbacks.

In the wider deadline context, this outgoing lands while we continue to be linked with defensive reinforcements such as Lutsharel Geertruida and Jeremy Jacquet.

This article first appeared on Empire of the Kop and was syndicated with permission.

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