Liverpool manager Klopp has some decisions to make as they plan to offload some of the players in the summer window. They have a task on their hand considering Klopp would like to trim his squad without losing the depth he has at his disposal.
Divock Origi will be leaving the Reds as a free agent when his contract runs out at the end of the season. The Belgian forward featured 14 times for Liverpool, scoring five goals and assisting three. He has put in some decent performances for the club including his brace against Barcelona in the Champions League. Liverpool will want to replace him with a similar player to maintain the bench strength.
Questions are also looming over Takumi Minamino‘s uncertain future at the club. The forward has struggled for minutes with most of his appearances coming from the bench. It remains to be seen whether the Japanese will be content with a sporadic role in the team. He might find himself outside the starting eleven more often now as the season draws to a close and the fixtures get tough.
Coming into the midfield, James Milner might see himself getting a move away from Anfield in the upcoming window. The veteran has been battling for minutes with the likes of Naby Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain. One of the two is potentially in line for a contract renewal. With Milner’s contract running out at the end of next season, Liverpool might just cash in on the midfielder.
Liverpool are spoilt with choices in the center-back position. Joe Gomez has struggled for minutes this season as he dropped down the pecking order with the arrival of Konate. There is a chance the Englishman will make a move away from Liverpool to get more minutes, considering the upcoming World Cup.
Liverpool’s Salah, Mane, and Firmino situation
Salah, Mane, and Firmino have been Liverpool’s go-to front three for a while now. This has also been one of their most successful forward partnership in recent history. But with all three players running out of contract next season, there is a high chance of one of them leaving in the summer.
Salah has been the center of attention amid concerns over his contract renewal. The Egyptian, Mane, and Firmino, have a contract with the club till 2023. Liverpool began talks over a new deal months ago, but have failed to reach an agreement as of yet. The talks were reportedly broken down and Salah has no intention of accepting the current terms presented by the club. The 29-year-old winger has been linked with a number of clubs since then including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Firmino will be the likeliest to leave if the club does find a solution over Salah’s contract. The Brazilian has only started in 14 games for the Reds so far this season, and injuries have not helped his cause. The Liverpool boss Klopp, has often preferred Diogo Jota over Firmino. Jota has featured in 39 games for Liverpool this season, scoring 19 goals.
Liverpool will have to replace the departing player with another quality option. This makes Firmino the easiest to replace as the club already has an agreement in principle with Fulham over the transfer of Fabio Carvalho. Considering the decrease in his gametime, this might be the best time in Firmino’s career to make a change.
Liverpool needs to strike the perfect balance between offloading players and losing their first-team depth. A lot depends on whether Salah decides to sign the new deal and extend his stay in the Premier League.
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