James Pearce admits he would be “very surprised” if Adrian signs a new Liverpool deal next summer.
The Spaniard arrived in 2019, starting well and enjoying a regular run in the team in the injury absence of Alisson, but he slowly lost his way as the months passed.
Adrian is now not even Liverpool’s second-choice goalkeeper, with Caoimhin Kelleher usurping him in the role in recent weeks.
It looks as though the writing is on the wall for the Spaniard, with Jurgen Klopp seemingly losing faith in him.
Responding to Liverpool supporter in a Q&A for The Athletic on Sunday, Pearce admitted he expects Adrian to move on at the end of the season, when his contract expires:
Hi Joe, Yeah I was asked a lot during the summer window whether LFC would be offloading Adrian and signing a replacement for this season and I said that wouldn’t be happening.
My info was that Klopp was sticking with him and that proved to be correct. However, since then Adrian’s form hasn’t been great when he has played and Kelleher has really impressed Klopp and Achterberg with his development on the training field.
Adrian is out of contract next summer and I’d be very surprised if he was given a new deal. Whether LFC need to buy another No 2 in 2021 depends to a large extent on how Kelleher does between now and the end of the season.
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It makes perfect sense for Adrian to leave next summer, getting him off the wage bill and allowing Kelleher to remain as Alisson’s deputy.
The 33-year-old looked a strong acquisition when he helped Liverpool win the UEFA Super Cup early last season, but he has become an erratic presence in the Reds’ goal.
His shambolic performance in the 7-2 defeat away to Aston Villa earlier this season summed him up, with This Is Anfield handing him a two-out-of-10 rating.
