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Everything looks rosy at Liverpool right now. Jurgen Klopp has turned them into genuine title challengers against one of the best teams we’ve ever witnessed in Premier League history: Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking Manchester City.
The Reds are also in the final of the Champions League for the second season in a row, where the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been in world-class form yet again to fire them through to the latter stages of Europe’s elite competition.
So, after this memorable campaign comes to a close, who should Klopp sell, loan out or keep? Football FanCast assesses the Liverpool squad…
[snack_break title=”Goalkeepers – Alisson Becker, Simon Mignolet, Caoimhin Kelleher”]
Alisson Becker – Keep, obviously.
Simon Mignolet – James Milner recently spoke of his admiration for Mignolet’s professionalism despite being benched in favour of Alisson. The Belgium wanted to leave back in the summer, but the Reds refused his wishes; maybe he should be granted his wish as a result of his commendable attitude.
Caoimhin Kelleher – Loan. The young Irishman is very highly rated at Anfield, but is in need of some first-team football elsewhere to truly test himself.
[snack_break title=”Full-backs – Alberto Moreno, Andy Robertson, Adam Lewis, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nathaniel Clyne”]
Alberto Moreno – Out of contract in the summer, and not a big favourite at Anfield anyway.
Andy Robertson – One of the world’s best. Keep.
Adam Lewis – Klopp is clearly excited at the exciting youngster’s potential having included him in his squad for the warm weather camp in Marbella earlier this year. A loan would be a smart move for an obviously talented left-back.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Also one of the world’s best, and a scouser. Looks set to stay for the long term.
Nathaniel Clyne – Loaned out to Bournemouth in January and could command a decent fee. Sell him and get cover for Alexander-Arnold in.
[snack_break title=”Centre backs – Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren”]
Virgil van Dijk – Arguably the world’s best defender. Do I even need to say it? Keep him and build that statue.
Joe Gomez – A fantastic young defender with incredible potential. Keep.
Joel Matip – Has shown in Gomez’s absence that he can be an excellent defender and a reliable presence; his ability to bring the ball out from the back has been impressive. He should be kept around.
Dejan Lovren – Nearing his 30th birthday and has struggled with injury problems this season. Probably best to move him on and get a decent fee for him whilst they still can.
[snack_break title=”Central midfielders – James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita”]
James Milner – Milner is almost 34-years-old, and his current deal expires in just 12 months. His leadership and versatility have been key, but it might be time to move him on now Oxlade-Chamberlain is back fit and Keita has settled.
Gini Wijnaldum – Liverpool’s unsung hero. Wijnaldum is a fan favourite at Anfield and has come up with some big moments for the club. He is also a tidy footballer who never lets anyone down. Definitely keep him around.
Jordan Henderson – Captain fantastic. Maybe in the first half of the season you could have argued that the England international should be moved on but, after a chat with Klopp, he has become a key figure in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final. Has to be kept.
Fabinho – The £39m summer signing has given Liverpool’s midfield some bite and a new dimension. The No.3 sets the tempo in Klopp’s gegenpressing system and is arguably one of the most important players in the side. A must keep.
Adam Lallana – Lallana has made just 16 appearances this season as he once again struggles to maintain his fitness. With the amount of midfielders Klopp has at his disposal, maybe it’s time for the former Southampton man to be moved on. Does he even get in the side when fully fit? Probably not.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – The Englishman’s return to action after roughly a year out was one of the moments of the season. He is a popular figure at Anfield and offers something different in midfield for Klopp. Keep.
Naby Keita – The Guinean was just starting to find his feet at Anfield before suffering a groin injury against Barcelona – Keita had three goals in six games before the incident inside the Camp Nou. After a good pre-season, he should be more like the player we saw at RB Leipzig.
[snack_break title=”Attacking midfielders and wingers – Xherdan Shaqiri, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah”]
Xherdan Shaqiri – Had a strange period out of the team after January, where he played just 40 minutes in almost three months. Showed his obvious quality against Barcelona, but there are some doubts over his work ethic. An improvement could easily be found, so Shaqiri should be moved on for a decent profit on the £13m Liverpool spent on him.
Sadio Mane – Keep. Obviously
Mohamed Salah – You’re joking right? Keep.
[snack_break title=”Strikers – Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi, Daniel Sturridge”]
Roberto Firmino – Klopp’s No.1 choice for the centre-forward role and the man that makes Liverpool’s attack tick like clockwork – he must be kept.
Divock Origi – The Champions League semi-final hero, Origi’s status at Anfield has very quickly turned from bit-part player into a heroic figure. However, he hasn’t been needed for large parts of the campaign and Liverpool should use his newfound form to whack a few extra quid on his price tag and sell him on.
Daniel Sturridge – Is out of contract in the summer, and should rightly be let go. Looks a shadow of his former self.