Liverpool have confirmed that midfielder James Balagizi has been recalled from his loan spell with Wigan Athletic.
The 20-year-old extended his contract with the Reds before joining the Latics for the 2023-24 campaign, having previously spent the first half of the 2022-23 season with Crawley Town.
Balagizi was restricted to just seven appearances for Wigan across all competitions, though, including a mere three substitute outings in League One, where he failed to make a matchday squad after October 3.
Balagizi did feature from the first whistle in three EFL Trophy wins over Leicester City's Under-21s, Fleetwood Town and Tranmere Rovers, as well as an EFL Cup first-round loss to Wrexham, but his time with Wigan has now come to an end.
The England Under-20 international previously represented Manchester City before joining Liverpool as an Under-11s player, but he is yet to earn his first-team debut for the Reds, making the bench twice in the 2021-22 season against Norwich City (EFL Cup) and Shrewsbury Town (FA Cup).
Liverpool have also brought Owen Beck and Rhys Williams back to Merseyside in the January transfer window, while Nat Phillips's unsuccessful Celtic stay has also come to an end.
Ben Knapton
