- 8 hours ago
Five Liverpool players who could leave this summer
Liverpool are set for a summer rebuild under Jurgen Klopp. But which players are most likely to leave Anfield to make way for new players?
The Reds endured an underwhelming 2022/23 season, ultimately finishing fifth in the Premier League and missing out on Champions League qualification.
As it looked like Liverpool would have to settle for the lesser riches of Europa League football next term, the club's owners, FSG, pulled the plug on Klopp's pursuit of his top transfer target, Jude Bellingham..
Instead, the Reds brought in Alexis Mac Allister from summer – and are now chasing Nice hotshot Khephren Thuram.
EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool face Thuram delay as Nice aim for bidding war
A changing of the guard is already well underway for the 2019/20 Premier League champions: Sadio Mane left last year – joining Bayern Munich in a €41m deal – and the likes of Roberto Firmino and James Milner will follow him out of the club on a free transfer this summer.
Who else might leave, though? FootballTransfers takes a closer look…
Mo Salah
Mo Salah only signed a new three-year deal at Liverpool this time last year, but that hasn't stopped speculation over the Egyptian star's future.
PSG have been linked with a sensational swoop for the 30-year-old forward amid fresh uncertainty over Kylian Mbappe's situation at the club – and it rather goes without saying that losing Salah would deal Liverpool an enormous blow.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip is another stalwart of Klopp's best Liverpool teams so far, but with Virgil van Dijk the undoubted first choice at centre-back and Ibrahima Konate looking to have fully overcome the knee injury that dogged him at the start of last season, he has fallen down the pecking order.
Matip is also 32 this summer, so time is running out for the Reds to cash in on him as they look to fund deals for younger centre-backs, be it Josko Gvardiol or one of Portuguese pair Antonio Silva and Goncalo Inacio.
MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers | All the Done Deals
Caoimhin Kelleher
Caoimhin Kelleher finds himself in the frustrating position of being trusted by Klopp, but not to the degree that he will ever replace Alisson as the German's first-choice goalkeeper.
Capped 10 times by the Republic of Ireland, Kelleher has been linked with Tottenham, who seem likely to at least add competition for Hugo Lloris between the sticks this summer.
Joe Gomez
Like Salah, Gomez only extended his Liverpool contract last summer – until 2027, in fact – but his lack of involvement in 2022/23 must raise doubts about whether he truly remains in Klopp's plans.
The versatile defender made only 21 Premier League appearances in the campaign just gone, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see the Reds cash in during the coming months.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Last, and perhaps the least likely to leave, on this list is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who enjoyed a second wind in 2022/23 with Klopp using him as a right-back/defensive midfield hybrid towards the end of the campaign.
Alexander-Arnold's range of distribution is second to none, but question marks remain about his defensive ability. Tony Cascarino is among those to suggest that the England international could be cashed in on to fund the rebuild.