Liverpool are planning a large-scale reconstruction of their midfield during the summer transfer window, following a disastrous season for Jurgen Klopp’s team
Jurgen Klopp is determined to rebuild Liverpool’s midfield in the summer transfer window, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Arthur Melo all expected to depart.
The Reds’ main issue this season has been in midfield, where Klopp’s team has struggled. They failed to win the Carabao Cup, were eliminated from the FA Cup, and were knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday by Real Madrid.
With their participation in next season’s Champions League uncertain, the Reds are increasingly set to undergo a rebuild this summer. Jude Bellingham is their primary goal for the window, but it appears that broader upheaval is on the way.
According to The Athletic, this will begin with the free transfers of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita at the end of their contracts. Until Wednesday’s loss to Real Madrid, Oxlade-Chamberlain had played just five minutes of football since mid-January.
The Englishman has been at Anfield for six years, but has battled to establish himself as a regular starter in recent years. He has only made 12 appearances this season, including a cameo at the Bernabeu.
It’s no surprise, then, that the 29-year-old will leave when his contract ends at the end of the season. Since joining from RB Leipzig in 2018, Keita has failed to live up to his price tag.
He missed the first half of the season due to a hamstring injury, and his first Premier League game came on Boxing Day. He has been left out of the last three Premier League squads, and his time at Anfield appears to be coming to an end.
Nevertheless, Arthur’s move to Anfield has been nothing short of a disaster, with the Juventus star scarcely appearing. Liverpool’s primary priority will be on signing Bellingham, thus the loan agreement will not be extended.
James Milner could be among those leaving, with the Englishman deciding whether to stay for another year. Liverpool veteran Michael Owen fears the club’s hopes to acquire Bellingham may be jeopardized by their current situation.
“That’s the concern. “At the moment, you’re hanging your hat on maybe one or two arrivals to freshen it all up, but the danger is that if Liverpool don’t go into the Champions League, it’s not going to be as interesting,” he told BT Sport.
“If they don’t get in the Champions League they probably won’t have the money to go and do it, we all know Liverpool isn’t overflowing with money so I know there’s a purse there to potentially go for a Guy for £100 million, maybe a little bit more.
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