A few signings will be made this summer to help Liverpool compete in four competitions next season.
With the Reds massively suffering last year due to with a thin squad that was hit with many injuries, Jurgen Klopp will look to assemble a good and big enough group of players.
However, along with bringing in new arrivals, Liverpool must also sell. Klopp hasn’t been afraid of cutting his squads in the past. In his first two seasons at Borussia Dortmund, he sold 18 players, most of whom were seen as not good enough.
I’ve taken a look at some of those player who might not be at Liverpool come the end of the transfer window:
Mamadou Sakho
Probably the player with the clearest future on this list, Mamadou Sakho is undoubtedly heading out of Merseyside this summer. After falling out with Klopp last year, Sakho spent the first half of last season with the U23s before finally getting senior football when he went out on loan to Crystal Palace. Nominated for their player of the season after only 8 games, his string of good performances will have Liverpool demanding £30 million for the French defender.
Lucas Leiva
Having just finished his 10th season at the club, Lucas Leiva’s future is in doubt. Lucas has been a great servant to the club and it seems like his 10 years at Liverpool could be coming to an end with reports suggesting that a return to previous club Gremio could be on the cards
With Liverpool playing in four competitions next season, Lucas could still get plenty of game time but he would probably be last in the pecking order.
Not many players currently at Liverpool have the presence Lucas has off the pitch and if he does depart, he will leave a huge hole.
Ragnar Klavan
Ragnar Klavan was a weird signing last summer. Fairly unknown, he was signed out of nowhere from Augsburg. Spending this season as Liverpool’s third choice centre back, the 31-year-old has had a decent season playing more games than what was first expected due to injuries to Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren.
Next season could see him get considerably much less game time though. Already third choice, the signing of a new centre-back to partner Matip will drop him down to fourth and with Klopp highly rating Joe Gomez, he must be keen to give him more game time next season
Alberto Moreno
Alberto Moreno isn’t ever good, is he? Starting the first game of the season against Arsenal, his performance was so bad that James Milner, a midfielder, started the rest of the season at left back. That is all you need to know about Moreno, a poor player who needs to be shipped off this summer.
Adam Bogdan
How is Adam Bogdan still a Liverpool player? One of the worst goalkeepers I’ve seen put on the red shirt, Bogdan will surely be gone this summer.
Jon Flanagan
At the end of the 2013-14 season Jon Flanagan was living the dream. Playing an important role in his boyhood club’s title challenge, the future looked bright for the ‘Scouse Cafu’ but injuries have hit him hard and he has never been able to get a run of games ever since.
Spending last season on loan at Burnley, Flanagan only made six league appearances.
It might be time to do the hard thing and let the big fan favourite go. However, he did sign a new contract in March 2016 that could keep him around until 2019 so maybe Klopp does see a future for Flanagan at Liverpool.
Connor Randall
Liverpool have released several academy players this season, suggesting that we could see a reshuffle in the setup where they get rid of the players who aren’t likely to make it at the senior level. Connor Randall should be one of these players.
Making a few league and cup appearances since his debut in 2015, Randall has never looked like a player ready to play first team football. A very average footballer, players like Randall will never make it at Liverpool.
Kevin Stewart
Kevin Stewart is another player who could leave for the same reason Randall should. At 23 years of age, Stewart should already be a first team player. He’s getting too old to play with the U23’s, but he isn’t good enough to play first team football. A decent player he could still make it at a mid-table or low-table Premier League team but he simply isn’t good enough to play for a top team.
Lazar Markovic
Lazar Markovic is another player who isn’t good enough to make it at the top level. After his first season at Anfield, three disappointing loan spells followed as he failed to make a mark wherever he went. Still a decent player, I’m sure Markovic will settle at a club, but that club definitely won’t be Liverpool.
Danny Ings
Nobody can really predict what Danny Ings’ Liverpool future will be. A bright start to his Reds career was followed by two major injuries that have seen Ings play just six league games in two seasons.
When Klopp came in, fans were every excited to see the striker under the new manager as he seemed to be a typical Klopp player.
The reason Ings is on this list isn’t because of his talent, he is a very good striker, but he is instead here because of his injury record. Missing two seasons will certainly have an effect on most players and one must wonder if Klopp has planned a Liverpool future with Ings in it.
Daniel Sturridge
The best player on this list, it seems like nobody really knows what Daniel Sturridge’s future holds. His injury record has slightly improved his season but he still had very little game time due to Liverpool’s front three being in form. But with four competitions to play in next season, Sturridge, if he can stay fit, will get much more game time.
It is obvious that Sturridge is one of the best players at Liverpool and is undoubtedly world class on his day. Against West Ham in the penultimate game of the season, he proved that he can flourish in Klopp’s system.
Near the end of the season, Klopp was keen to point out that Sturridge was a great player and he was in his future plans. Hopefully that is true and the 27-year-old striker will still be a Liverpool player come the end of the transfer window.
