Selling Adam Lallana this summer is a decision that makes perfect sense for Liverpool.
According to the Telegraph, the 31-year-old is wanted by Leicester City, as well as Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham.
It is believed that Lallana will leave Liverpool once this season is done and dusted, following six seasons in a Red shirt.
Reaction to the news has been mixed, but in my opinion, this is the perfect time to say thank you and goodbye to the midfielder.
Assessing Lallana’s Liverpool career as a whole, it is hard not to feel underwhelmed by what he has achieved.
Arriving for £25 million from Southampton in 2014, he had not only been a star man for the south coast club, but also their captain.
It was hoped that Lallana would replicate that level of influence at Anfield, but he has never really come close to that.
The 2016/17 season will always be his best for the Reds – a year in which he played a key role in Jurgen Klopp’s side’s high-pressing, high-intensity game, alongside the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.
He also chipped in with eight goals and seven assists, showing that he was effective both on and off the ball.
In truth, however, that was Lallana’s one true purple patch for Liverpool and he is now in his sixth season on Merseyside.
A string of injuries have played a big part in his struggles, without question, but so has an ability to flatter to deceive.
Lallana’s much-cherished equaliser away to Manchester United back in October was his first goal in the Premier League since May 2017 – in the same period, he has only got one assist.
For a midfielder famed for his technical ability and creativity, that is a poor statistic, and one that sums up why he ultimately isn’t good enough for this record-breaking Liverpool team anymore.
It should be stressed that Lallana has been more useful this season than at other times, using his experience to help Liverpool see out games from the substitutes’ bench and being a leader off the pitch, but it is time for a fresh challenge.
In Curtis Jones, I believe Liverpool have the perfect replacement for Lallana, as shown by two hugely mature home performances in the FA Cup against Everton and Shrewsbury Town, earning nine-out-of-10 ratings from This Is Anfield on both occasions.
The 19-year-old represents the future, but he has also shown in recent weeks that he is ready to play a regular part in the first-team from next season onwards.
The hope is that Lallana goes out on a high, finishing his Liverpool career as a Premier League winner, as well as hopefully adding another Champions League medal to his collection.
There will always be a feeling that he could have offered more, though.
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