Jurgen Klopp will ‘persevere’ with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain beyond the summer, according to The Athletic‘s James Pearce.
The midfield pair have suffered hit-and-miss seasons for Liverpool, particularly Keita, who has continued to pick up injuries.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has contributed more, chipping in with seven goals, but he hasn’t completed 90 minutes since December.
Speaking in a Q&A on Wednesday, Pearce discussed the duo’s future, claiming they remain part of Klopp’s plans moving forward:
I expect Klopp to persevere with them both beyond the summer but with Adam Lallana leaving as a free agent there is a strong case to be made that another midfielder needs to be recruited.
Read Liverpool Verdict
I don’t think there is any need whatsoever to even contemplate selling Keita or Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.
The former is frustrating to watch, as he struggles to match the hype that accompanied his arrival in 2018 – that being said, he still has so much to offer if he can stay, bringing guile and intelligence to the midfield.
Meanwhile, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Oxlade-Chamberlain is still overcoming an extremely serious knee injury, so a level of patience is required with him.
His eye for goal and dynamism make him a different kind of midfield option for Klopp, though, and the positives comfortably outweigh the negatives with him.
I would keep hold of both ahead of next season, viewing them as key squad members for years to come.
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