Two Liverpool players to consider future after Champions League exclusion

FT Desk

Updated: 6 Sept 2022 07:18 BST
3 min read

Liverpool were desperate go sign a midfielder this summer, but two players in the position didn't even make their Champions League squad.

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Liverpool were linked with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Leicester's Youri Tielemans this summer, but in the end they settled for Juventus's Arthur Melo, signing the Brazilian on loan with an option to make his move permanent for €37.5 million next summer.

Liverpool are off to their worst ever Premier League start under Jurgen Klopp, and a midfield injury crisis hasn't helped, with Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all sidelined.

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Thiago is expected to return to training following a hamstring injury next week, but Klopp said recently that Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlin would take longer. "It's a muscle injury, yeah," he said on Keita. "Ox is a muscle injury and they will be out for a while."

Both might have expected to be back in time for Liverpool's Group A campaign - which kicks off against Napoli on Wednesday - but neither will be given that chance, with Klopp leaving them off his Champions League list.

Futures in doubt

"There was some eye-catching Liverpool news yesterday as both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were left out of the club's Champions League squad," wrote transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano.

"I believe that next summer both players will evaluate their future. Keita has already had opportunities in the summer but Liverpool wanted to keep him because Klopp considers him an important player in the rotations."

Keita may still have Klopp's trust, but he has never hit the heights he did at RB Leipzig following his €56 million arrival from the Bundesliga in 2018, failing to start more than 20 Premier League games in any of his four full seasons since.

Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived from Arsenal for £35m/€40m the year, but a cruciate ligament rupture in his first season threw his progress off course.