Liverpool midfielder set to join Arsenal youth stars in Slovakia and could face Yaya Toure
Liverpool academy midfielder Tommy Pilling is reportedly closing in on joining the English football revolution in Slovakia.
The 21-year-old, who was in and around the first-team picture last season, was left out of the Reds’ pre-season tour of the United States.
Pilling, who trained under new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola earlier this summer, has been on the Anfield books for 16 years.
However, he is expected to join MFK Zemplin Michalovce on a long-term deal in the coming days, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Who is Tommy Pilling?
Pilling progressed through the Reds academy since he was five years old, and looked on the cusp of a first-team breakthrough last season.
He played for the senior team in one of the two friendly victories against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield in August 2025 under Slot.
Pilling told the Liverpool website: “Even though it wasn’t a competitive game, just the feeling of being at Anfield, being around the fans, warming up, sitting on the bench behind the coaches, listening, getting an insight into what the first-team players listen to before the game, how people are moving about before the game, what they’re doing.
“To actually come on, I had a good 25 minutes too; it was just a moment to express myself, to show what I can do.
“I was nervous before the game, but warming up and stuff, it just felt natural. When the gaffer said, ‘You’re coming on’, I was just focused and happy.”
The boyhood Liverpool fan, who was born in St Helens, followed in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Jack Pilling, who played 118 times for the club between 1942-43 and 1945-46.
The Reds’ No.70 was then part of Slot’s matchday squad for the Carabao Cup ties with Southampton and Crystal Palace last autumn.
Liverpool squad for pre-season tour of USA
*Further senior players to join later in tour after World Cup commitments
Goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, Vítezslav Jaros, Harvey Davies, Bailey Hall
Defenders: Joe Gomez, Jeremy Jacquet, Milos Kerkez, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Kostas Tsimikas, Jeremie Frimpong, Luke Chambers, Calvin Ramsay, Calum Scanlon, Ifeanyi Ndukwe
Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Josh Abe, Trey Nyoni, Stefan Bajcetic, Kieran Morrison,
Forwards: Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott, Hugo Ekitike, Lewis Koumas, Rio Ngumoha, Will Wright, Hall, Josh Sonni-Lambie,
Unfortunately for Pilling, he was unable to make his competitive bow for Liverpool despite training with the first-team stars several times.
Having entered the final year of his deal, the local lad is now closing in on his first career transfer in a move to the Slovak top-flight.
Who are MFK Zemplin Michalovce?
Anton Soltis’ men, who finished fifth in the Slovak First Football League, have built up an English core in the past 18 months.
Zemplin’s squad already boasts two players who started at Arsenal: the first of which is midfielder Ben Cottrell.
The 24-year-old made his senior Gunners debut under Mikel Arteta in a 4-2 win over Dundalk in the 2020 Europa League group stage.
Cottrell was joined in Slovakia by fellow Hale End academy product Kido Taylor-Hart, who Arsenal released in the summer of 2024.
Zemplin also has further British links in Kai Brosnan, who was previously at Hemel Hempstead Town in the National League South.
Pilling could now join the trio in an early test away at Slovan Bratislava on August 29, who are managed by Yaya Toure.
The Manchester City legend was announced as the club’s new head coach last month in what represents his first senior management job.
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