Liverpool midfielder James McConnell has joined Eredivisie club Ajax on a season-long loan and signed a new five-year deal with the champions.The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a new-and-improved contract at Anfield – one that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2030.McConnell has emerged as one of Liverpool’s most promising academy products in recent years, making 13 first-team appearances and registering one assist.But with minutes likely to be hard to come by this season, the midfielder has agreed to join Ajax for the campaign.It means that McConnell will join up with former Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga, who took over the Eredivisie side earlier this year, as well as fellow loanee Vitezslav Jaros.This feels like the right time for McConnell to enjoy a fresh challenge away from Liverpool for a year, testing himself in a foreign league.As mentioned, it is hard to see how Arne Slot will be able to promise him regular playing time this season, so picking up senior experience away from Anfield makes total sense.Hopefully, McConnell will prove his worth at Ajax, becoming a key starter both in the league and the Champions League.He can then return to Liverpool as a more mature player next summer, before looking to become a firmer part of Slot’s plans.