Liverpool Defender Nathaniel Clyne Set for January Loan Exit as Cardiff City Lead Race to Seal Deal

Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne is reportedly set to be loaned out by his club in January, with Cardiff City currently leading the race to seal the deal next

Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne is reportedly set to be loaned out by his club in January, with Cardiff City currently leading the race to seal the deal next month.

The right-back has failed to regain his spot in the Reds' starting XI since returning from a back injury that kept him out of action for most of last season, with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold flourishing in his absence - helping the side reach the Champions League Final with a series of stirring performances and earning himself a place in England's 2018 FIFA World Cup squad.

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According to the Mirror, Joe Gomez's imminent return from injury will see him fall even further down the pecking order, and will look to move out on loan in January in order to play regular first team football. Premier League strugglers Cardiff City are believed to be in pole position to seal the deal, which could be a massive boost to their hopes of avoiding relegation.

The report claims that Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock has an advantage over Fulham and Leicester City in the race to sign Clyne, as he used to manage the player during their days at Crystal Palace. The 27-year-old has 14 England caps at senior level, and played an important part in their qualification campaign for the Euro 2016 tournament.

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Clyne would arguably be wasted at Leicester; the Foxes' star player this season has unquestionably been their right-back Ricardo Perreira. However the Cottagers have struggled to defend all season, and the Bluebirds are also in desperate need of shoring up their leaky backline.

In other news, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has refused to get carried away following his side's 5-1 Premier League thrashing of Arsenal. The charismatic manager claimed that he didn't believe a side's league standing was important in December, and that they could easily be caught by their title rivals Manchester City by the end of the campaign.