It promises to be an interesting summer of transfer activity at Anfield. Brendan Rodgers will be looking to replace a whole host of departing players, potentially including the much-discussed contract rebel, Raheem Sterling.
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Liverpool transfer news
Reports from Sky Sports confirm that Sterling’s future remains unclear, despite him training with the squad on Wednesday, while the Daily Mirror claim a £40m bid from Manchester City is imminent.
Already heading out the exit door is club captain Steven Gerrard, who is set to join LA Galaxy, as well as out of contract trio Glen Johnson, Kolo Toure and Brad Jones. With players such as Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli tipped to follow them (via The Metro), it could be a busy few months of departures.
Below, we predict how our first-choice XI could look next season as a result – without the addition of any new signings – and speculate over the areas we are subsequently most likely to strengthen in.
GK) Simon Mignolet
The Belgian has thoroughly re-established himself as our number one since the turn of the year, putting in a series of fine performances that could still see him crowned the Premier League’s golden glove winner. He can expect to receive some stronger competition next season, with someone likely to come in and replace the departing Jones, but it would be foolish to think that Mignolet won’t at least start next season as first choice.
RB) Emre Can
Glen Johnson’s imminent departure and Jon Flanagan’s latest injury setback have left us very short in the full-back department. Emre Can would surely love the opportunity to play in his more natural central midfield position but until someone else comes in that simply isn’t going to happen. We do have Javier Manquillo, about to enter the second-half of his two-year loan deal from Atletico Madrid, but we certainly need a more established name.
CB) Martin Skrtel
The Slovakian is one of the very few experienced heads left in this Liverpool side, so his role is going to become even more imperative next season. With the defender entering the final year of his contract, it’s crucial that we make the most of him ahead of his possible departure – both in helping ready the young guard and with his performances on the pitch. It will be interesting to see if another old head comes in to replace Kolo Toure.
CB) Mamadou Sakho
Sakho will reignite his battle with Dejan Lovren for the second central defensive spot. The Frenchman had a very solid run of performances during the early part of 2015 but otherwise it’s been a fairly disappointing first two years on Merseyside, dominated by fitness issues. We know that he’s got the capabilities to be a fine player and one of the ‘leaders’ that we are looking for, so it’s important that he reminds us all of that come the start of next season.
LB) Alberto Moreno
The youngster remains the obvious choice at left-back, with Jose Enrique having barely featured over the last two seasons. Again, with Flanagan out and Johnson going, it seems clear that we’re shot in the full-back positions. Perhaps Andre Wisdom, currently on loan at West Brom, could play some part next season, however we’d ideally be looking to sign at least one new player.
DM) Lucas Leiva
Gerrard’s departure has left us very short in the middle of the park. The Brazilian’s experience could be vital in this transitional period for the club and we would be foolish to discount his influence. As one of our longest serving players, Lucas is likely to hold a lot of sway in the dressing room. He can also still do a job on the pitch – our record remains far superior when he’s part of the team and he can always be relied upon to clear up ahead of the defence.
CM) Jordan Henderson
It’s going to be a crucial season for Henderson. Having just signed a new big-money contract and with the club captaincy likely to be heading his way, he’s going to be carrying a wealth of expectation on his shoulders. His growing relationship with Gerrard has been clear to see for several months now, as our iconic No. 8 readies his successor. We all know that he has mighty big shoes to fill but he’s definitely got the talent and the ability.
CM) Joe Allen
It’s make or break time for the Welshman, who has to prove that he’s worth a place in this team. With at least one new signing surely coming in – considering our lack of strength in depth in this area – he’ll know that he’s going to be under threat before the season has even begun. Allen has regularly flattered to deceive during his time at the club but Rodgers has kept faith with the player he’s been working with since their days at Swansea together.
AM) Adam Lallana
It’s been a difficult first season on Merseyside for Lallana, the most-expensive purchase of last summer’s spending spree, for whom big things were expected. For the most part, it’s not been his fault. A succession of injury problems have prevented him from building up any sort of momentum, while his performances in recent weeks – topped off by last weekend’s goal against Crystal Palace – have proved that he is more than capable.
AM) Philippe Coutinho
The Brazilian is of course included in his favoured role just behind the central striker. It might be tempting, considering our issues in central midfield, to drop him back down the pitch and include either Jordon Ibe or Lazar Markovic here instead. However, it’s important that we play our best players in their best positions. It’s a problem we’ve encountered all season long, with both Coutinho and Raheem Sterling playing in a central striking role.
ST) Daniel Sturridge
Fingers crossed that his hip operation has done the trick and that he’ll be back fit and firing by the end of the calender year. We’ve sorely missed his goals this season, as well as his presence leading the line. One might even argue that if we’d had another 10-15 games out of him this season that we’d have made the top four. Either way, he needs help next season, regardless of how quickly he returns. Rodgers and co must buy at least one, maybe two.
