Nathaniel Clyne will stay at Liverpool beyond the summer transfer window as he continues his comeback from a nightmare season.
The right-back missed the majority of the 2017/2018 campaign after picking up a back injury during the first week of pre-season and suffering a crushing setback during his recovery.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez subsequently shared the workload in his absence, with the former producing a stunning finish to the season to cement a starting spot under Jurgen Klopp.
Despite returning to full fitness and featuring regularly during pre-season, Clyne faces the difficult task of dislodging Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool’s first eleven.
The London Evening Standard’s David Lynch claims Clyne will not be leaving the club, following previous uncertainty over his future.
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Alexander-Arnold should be available to start in Sunday’s Premier League opener against West Ham having returned from his break in time to feature in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Napoli.
With Joe Gomez expected to compete for a place beside Virgil van Dijk, Clyne is likely to compete directly with Alexander-Arnold at full-back.
The 27-year-old could prove a useful alternative as Klopp once again implements his team rotation as a means of sensibly juggling Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge with domestic cup competitions and their potential Champions League involvement.
His availability also looms as bonus motivation for Alexander-Arnold to continue his development, especially from a defensive perspective given Clyne’s proven reliability at the back.
In what promises to be another hectic schedule, squad depth in all areas could prove defining.