Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp failed to keep the Liverpool star who begged to stay on despite being offered a new contract 

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp failed to keep the Liverpool star who begged to stay on despite being offered a new contract

James Milner is one of four big names to leave Liverpool this summer, despite attempts by Jurgen Klopp to keep him at Anfield with a manager role on offer.

The Liverpool manager was desperate to keep James Milner at Anfield and even offered the veteran a manager role at the club.

The Reds have confirmed four of their biggest names will leave in the summer with their contracts not renewed, including Milner. Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita will also leave Merseyside this summer.

Jurgen Klopp had revealed he was desperate for Milner to stay, explaining he had talks with the midfielder who made 330 appearances for the club and is now widely regarded as Liverpool’s best ever free transfer.

There were also suggestions for a coaching role. However, talks never resulted in a concrete offer for a new contract for the England international, suggesting that after eight hugely successful years at Anfield he is looking for a new challenge and wants to play more football. regularly as his career draws to a close.

Brighton and hometown club Leeds are keen to sign the 37-year-old for next season and he will go with Klopp’s blessing – and glowing honors – as he finishes 55th on the club’s all-time appearances list .

Firmino had previously announced he would be leaving at the end of the season as he joined a foreign club as a free agent, with Barcelona expressing interest… and warmly welcoming the Reds’ support for his glorious eight years at Anfield .

But Milner, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain will leave him and will all have important roles in the Klopp revolution at Anfield. Both Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain were expected to leave as injuries derailed their final seasons at the club and it was scientific that no new contracts would be offered. Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal in 2017 and played a key role in the 2019-20 title campaign, but injuries saw him make just 146 appearances for the club, including just 13 this season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived from Arsenal back in 2017 and played a key role in the title-winning season of 2019-20, but injuries restricted his appearances to just 146 games for the club, featuring just 13 times this season.

Keita is perhaps the biggest disappointment for fans who believed he was destined for the top after signing for a fee of £53m from Red Bull Leipzig in 2018, but despite winning every honour in his time with the club, injury also stunted his Liverpool career.

The midfielder also appeared just 13 times this season after suffering a succession of setbacks, and the club have decided to cut their losses by releasing him on a free transfer.

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Liverpool transfer target blocked by Unai Emery leaving Jurgen Klopp option ‘better than Jude Bellingham’

Liverpool have been linked with Aston Villa target Manuel Ugarte but are prioritizing a transfer of Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich after cooling their interest in Jude Bellingham.

Liverpool face competition from Aston Villa for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The Uruguayan shone in the Portuguese capital and boasts a move to the Premier League. Sporting have included a £55million release clause in his contract as his agent Jorge Mendes seeks to move Ugarte to the Premier League.

Liverpool are among the clubs that will be keeping tabs on Ugarte this season after Sporting signed him to replace Joao Palhinha, who joined Fulham last summer. Unai Emery is also enthusiastic and has several players on his radar as he prepares for his first summer transfer window since joining Villa Park, with a defensive midfielder on his wishlist, according to the Daily Mail. The Reds may have had their eye on Ugarte but they prefer to pursue other players as their midfield is in desperate need of a refresh. Last summer, they decided against bringing in a top player to strengthen that area, believing Jude Bellingham to be a long-term target.

They have since pulled out of the race to sign the Borussia Dortmund star, who is now set to join Real Madrid or possibly Manchester City. The cost of the deal has been cited as an issue for the Reds, who will now look to add more players, with Ryan Gravenberch a key target.

Dutchman’s compatriot Rafael van der Vaart claims the Bayern Munich native is a better version of Bellingham but it all depends on the German club’s willingness to let him go. They only signed him from Ajax last summer but have since changed coaches.

Gravenberch believes his future lies a long way from the Allianz Arena with just a few minutes left up this season, but Bayern are reluctant to let him leave. A report from Tuttomercatoweb suggests the Reds are preparing a £43m offer to test their resolve.

If Liverpool can’t get Bayern to sell, they’ll have to keep an eye out for other targets, including Ugarte. However, they have more interest in Premier League pairings Mason Mount and Alexis Mac Allister. The former’s contract with Chelsea is about to expire and negotiations have been going on for months. The Blues face a reshuffle this summer with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, who could yet convince Mount to stay. Brighton, meanwhile, are determined to retain their world champion Mac Allister after another impressive campaign. The Seagulls are ready for Europe and have shown their determination to retain their best players after keeping Moises Caicedo out of Arsenal’s clutches in January.