Joe Allen is still up in the air regarding his future on Merseyside, the Echo reports.
The Welshman’s contract expires in 2017, and as of yet, there’s been no offer of an extension from the club, despite his impressive performances this calendar year.
Allen was barely used before Christmas, but became an increasingly important player under Jurgen Klopp, who wanted to rotate his squad with the various cup fixtures in mind.
The 26-year-old reckons his chances of staying at Liverpool rely on which central midfielders we buy this summer, and he probably has a point. Liverpool have already acquired Marko Grujic, but Mamoud Dahoud has been heavily linked (via Telegraph) as well, meaning Allen could slip further down the pecking order – especially with captain Jordan Henderson expected to return to full fitness.
“I think it hinges on the pre-season plans and what exactly the club are hoping to do, everything comes into that,” Allen began.
“The acquisitions and who they are going to get in, and until all that happens then it is difficult to answer that question.
“As a footballer you want to play every minute of every game.
“When you don’t it can be disappointing, that’s natural for anyone, that’s not specific to me.
“It’s how you react. You have to make sure you don’t let it affect you to a point that when you do get your chances you’re not up to it.
“That’s been a challenge for me this year, but I’ve enjoyed that challenge.”
“There was a conversation [in January] with the club in terms of what the future did hold for me, if I would feature more or if I would feature in the plans moving forward.
“They made it clear at that stage I wouldn’t be moving anywhere.
“I knew where I stood, and it was good to have that conversation and know that I had the second half of the season to look forward to with Liverpool.
“As soon as the season finished with Liverpool I said to myself, ‘I don’t want to have any distractions and I am fully focussed and engaged on purely all things Wales’.
“That’s where I am at the moment.
“We have had an intense season and I’m sure there will be a week or two after the Euros before any discussions are had.
“”he support (from the fans) has been brilliant in the last few months.
“”t’s always great for a player, it always helps you when you step out on the pitch. I’ve enjoyed that and it made things easier.
“People have talked about the improvement in my game this year, but it’s almost a back-handed compliment in some ways.
“In the first half of the season I hadn’t played.
“But I’m 26, not 36, so I am still developing and improving.
“I’d be very disappointed if I said at the end of any year that I hadn’t improved as the season had gone on.”
We like Allen’s bullish comments, as they show he’s feistier than his persona suggests. The midfielder can pass, and under Klopp, he’s showed an ability to start attacks from deep rather than moving the ball sideways and between our defenders.
Long-term, he perhaps lacks the required physicality for a Premier League title winning side, especially in a midfield two – but we wouldn’t begrudge Allen an extension. For now, he’s a valuable squad asset.