Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday night following a 4-2 aggregate defeat against Atletico Madrid as their hopes of clinching the double were shattered at Anfield.
Diego Simeone’s divisive brand of football triumphed in extra time as Marcos Llorente and Alvaro Morata scored three goals between them to send the travelling fans, the substitutes bench and the manager into raptures.
But now the dust has settled it’s an appropriate time for reflection for the Reds. The league title has not been confirmed but, just when it seemed the trophy was finally going to Merseyside, the COVID19 pandemic has created immense uncertainty.
One trophy from an available four, however, if the season does eventually reach its conclusion, will perhaps leave a tinge of regret for Klopp given how electric his side have been this season.
Winning more than one trophy requires a perfect blend of skill, good fortune and squad depth, and it’s fair to say that Liverpool do not have the latter in abundance – an issue highlighted by Adrian’s part in Atletico’s equaliser on Wednesday.
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With that in mind, Michael Edwards is facing a huge summer of business in terms of both incoming and outgoing signings.
And in order to bolster Liverpool’s position on the negotiating table, the sporting director would be wise to offload a handful of players to free up the wage bill.
Here, Football FanCast take a look at how the revered backroom man can trim £27.24m per year from the club’s outlay.
Those who look destined to leave
This part is relatively straightforward. Both Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne, earning £5.72m and £3.64m per year respectively, are approaching the end of their contracts.
Clyne has faded into obscurity at Anfield and will surely be looking for a new challenge to kickstart a career that has been impacted by injuries and the rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Meanwhile, reports linking Lallana with a move to Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester suggest he won’t be short of quality suitors this summer.
There is no indication that Edwards will be opening negotiations with either over a new deal and it would be a surprise if that changed before the summer.
Those who aren’t warranting their wage
Liverpool have a string of players in the squad who simply aren’t adding enough value to merit their place.
Xherdan Shaqiri, who has had fleeting moments of promise to endear him to the Anfield faithful, is pocketing £4.1m per year but just 161 minutes of Premier League football this season provide a damning indication of his position at the club.
Naby Keita is a more complicated situation given he cost the club £48m in 2018, but he simply hasn’t delivered on the promise that preceded his arrival. Earning £6.24m a year, the club could be getting so much more for their £120k-per-week.
Dejan Lovren and Divock Origi, earning £5.2m and £2.34m respectively, meanwhile, are both below the standard required to adequately step in to replace the likes of Joe Gomez, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
Edwards must be ruthless and send all six aforementioned players through the exit door.