James Milner is reportedly edging towards a move to Brighton this summer with his current Liverpool deal expiring at the end of the season and Neil Jones has admitted his surprise at the potential transfer.
The former Manchester City man joined the Reds on a free transfer back in 2015 and has since went onto win every major trophy possible at Anfield.
The GOAL journalist admitted that he’s not surprised that the 37-year-old is leaving L4 but the fact that he’s heading to the Amex Stadium is somewhat of a shock.
Jones told Redmen TV: “I’m not surprised he’s leaving Liverpool. I’m a bit surprised he’s going to Brighton. If you’d have said six Premier League clubs are in for Milner, I probably wouldn’t have had Brighton down as one of them, just because of the model of the club.
“There’s potential to maybe go into coaching. Maybe he feels like the pathway there – coaching, scouting, or executive.
“From a Liverpool point of view, obviously he’s going to be hugely missed around the club. There are times when you see James Milner on the side of the pitch coming on and you think, ‘Good, that’s a good decision.’
“What a servant he’s been for Liverpool. Eight years since he joined – won everything, and played a huge part.
“He’ll be remembered fantastically. The Villa game at Anfield – his former club – I hope he gets a fantastic ovation. I hope he gets on the pitch, and I hope he gets a fantastic ovation from Anfield. If and when he comes back with Brighton, his name will get cheered as soon as it’s read out. He’s a modern-day Liverpool great.”
If Milner does complete a move to the south coast he will once again be playing alongside former Liverpool man Adam Lallana.
We can understand why this is a move that may raise a few eyebrows as it somewhat goes against the transfer approach Brighton have adopted in recent years.
The Seagulls have been praised for their scouting networks around the globe and their ability to bring youngsters with plenty of potential to the Premier League and help them flourish.
Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Kaoru Mitoma are just some of the players that have thrived under Roberto De Zerbi this season but by adding a versatile and experienced player like our No. 7 to the squad they appear to think they’ll see the benefits.
We’d like to see Milner remain a Liverpool player for another season as he’s such an important player both on and off the pitch but we understand that Brighton may be able to offer him more game time than he’s currently earning at Anfield.
If this campaign is his last one at the club then we wish him all the best for the future!