Liverpool face a crucial 10-day period for their summer transfer window plans with time running out for Jurgen Klopp to arrange his squad.
The German moved quickly to ensure his club secured the £35million signing of Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig to bolster their defensive options.
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The Reds have already raised £31m by selling Harry Wilson, Marko Grujic and Taiwo Awoniyi to Fulham, FC Porto and Union Berlin respectively.
Liverpool face the conundrum of needing to sell non-homegrown players in order to meet the Premier League’s registration rules and submit their 25-man squad for the 2021-22 season.
There are several fringe players who have been linked with a departure this summer — and the Merseyside outfit must find a way to facilitate their exit if they are to bring in new faces.
Sheyi Ojo
Liverpool are not known for stockpiling players but in Sheyi Ojo, they have failed to find a new home for the winger for the best part of a decade.
Since arriving from MK Dons as a teenager in 2011, the forward has farmed out on loan to Wigan, Wolves, Fulham, Reims and Rangers and is yet to find a permanent club.
He spent time on loan at Cardiff for the 2020-21 season but supposedly did not do enough to earn a transfer which has left him in limbo once again.
Ojo’s contract is set to expire in 2022 and given that he has not featured for the club since the 2016-17 season, there is virtually no chance of a renewal.
Divock Origi
The Reds will be desperate to flog the misfiring Belgian this summer after scoring just one goal in 17 appearances last season, with only nine appearances in the Premier League.
Origi, 26, enjoyed his role as a super sub for Klopp during the 2018-19 season, scoring a crucial winner in the Merseyside derby and bagging a double against Barcelona in the Champions League.
There has been interest in Origi from Wolves and Napoli, and according to The Athletic, Origi will be allowed to depart on a permanent transfer if Liverpool’s £20m asking price is met.
Nathaniel Phillips
Given their concerns over homegrown talent, it would be a surprise to see Klopp cash in on Nat Phillips, a player who broke into the first team last season and impressed the German.
The 24-year-old deputised for the injured Virgil van Dijk alongside Fabinho at centre-back and after a shaky start to life in the Premier League found some form in his 20 appearances for the club.
With money to spend, Liverpool are hoping to receive a fee in the £15m region with Phillips currently behind Van Dijk, Konate, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in the pecking order.
And now that Brighton are financially equipped, Klopp’s men could be tempted into a sale.
Ben Davies
One of the most bizarre signings of the Klopp era saw Davies arrive from Preston North End in January, seemingly to help alleviate concerns over their defensive crisis.
But the 25-year-old has not made a single appearance, calling to question why the Reds paid an initial £500,000 fee rising to £1.5m for his services.
Davies featured in a friendly against Wacker Innsbruck during their pre-season tour of Austria, but his lack of minutes suggest the club will seek a deal in this window — just six months after his arrival.
Xherdan Shaqiri
It was expected that Shaqiri would be leaving Liverpool after starring at Euro 2020 with Switzerland, scoring three goals for his country.
But as it stands, no club views a permanent deal as a viable one, with Liverpool’s demands once again putting off potential suitors.
Loris Karius
It is no understatement to suggest Karius faces a bleak situation at Liverpool — and so do the club.
The 28-year-old remains their fourth-choice goalkeeper and has only been spotted in training recently as the club look to sell him before the transfer window closes.
Karius hasn’t played competitively for the club since the 2017-18 Champions League final, spending two years on loan at Besiktas before a frustrating temporary stint with Union Berlin.
With only a year left on his current deal, the Reds could face cutting their losses on the error-strewn goalkeeper if it means him leaving permanently.
