Liverpool could be set to make £100 million and upwards from sales of several first team players who are not part of the plans under Jurgen Klopp.
So far, there has been just one single transfer away from the club with defender Andre Wisdom choosing to move to Derby County in a £2 million deal, which will rise to £4.5 million.
There are several high-profile players who have been linked with an exit from Anfield – chief among them being defender Mamadou Sakho. The 27-year old hasn’t played for the club for a year, after having a fallout with the manager and is widely expected to leave. Crystal Palace were believed to be interested, but are unwilling to match the Reds’ £30 million price tag (Liverpool Echo). However, with the player wanting to join a club that can offer Champions League football, he will generate significant funds from a move away.
Another star name that may be headed out of the club is striker Daniel Sturridge. There hasn’t been any sign from either the club or the player over a potential transfer, but his fitness issues are expected to force Liverpool into considering a sale. The club do not expect him to sell for a fee less than £30 million, given the fees that strikers are demanding in the current market as per the report from Liverpool Echo.
Wide player Lazar Markovic is also believed to be on the way out after several loan spells with interest from Premier League outfit Watford FC and Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg. The club are wanting to recoup most of the £20 million that they spent in signing him from Benfica back in the summer of 2014, the Echo claims.
Another Brendan Rodgers signing Alberto Moreno could be a potential casualty ahead of the summer, after having lost his place in the side to makeshift full-back James Milner last season. There have been reports that Liverpool have rejected a £11 million bid from Serie A outfit Napoli (The Telegraph) and also have another offer from Swansea City, which is believed to be in the range of £13 million (Football Whispers). However, Liverpool are looking for £15 million for the defender, with Moreno’s former club Sevilla and both Milan clubs interested according to the Liverpool Echo.
Midfielder Kevin Stewart is expected to generate another £10 million for Liverpool from his sale. The 23-year old joined on a free from Tottenham Hotspur but hasn’t been able to convince of his abilities. There were interests from several Premier League outfits in the January window, but the Reds rejected any approach, but now are willing to sell.
Lucas Leiva‘s situation is something of a bittersweet one for the fans. The Brazilian has been a terrific servant for the club for ten years now, having survived several managerial changes and played an important role in their return to the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish last season.
However, as he has spoken out in the past, he wants to be more than a mere squad player and may well look elsewhere for more first team minutes in the upcoming season. At 30, he has still plenty to offer and Liverpool will look to recoup £5 million from his sale.
As for the situation of youngsters Jon Flanagan, Connor Randall, Pedro Chirivella and Cameron Brannagan, they will be part of the pre-season tour and will need to showcase their talents in order to convince Klopp that they need to be on Liverpool’s books.
Flanagan will generate plenty of interests, despite a disappointing loan spell at Burnley where he hardly featured. Brannagan and Chirivella too had temporary stints at Fleetwood Town and Go Ahead Eagles respectively, while Randall featured heavily for the Liverpool U-23s, but played just 45 minutes of senior football.
Last summer, Liverpool made close to £80 million from the sales of Christian Benteke, Joe Allen, Martin Skrtel, Jordan Ibe etc., and look set for similar returns this time around as well. The club has already made two signings in the form of Dominic Solanke from Chelsea and Mohamed Salah from AS Roma and more spending is expected from Klopp ahead of the next season.
