Fabrizio Romano claims Liverpool have offered a new one-year contract to James Milner
As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Liverpool have offered a new one-year contract to reliable midfielder James Milner.
An icon of the English game, Milner has enjoyed an illustrious career in the Premier League, having played for teams such as Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
He signed for the Reds on a free transfer all the way back in 2015. That was just before Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool were struggling to live up to the standards they had set for themselves in the 2013-14 season.
In Milner, we found a leader on the pitch who did not need the captain’s armband to command respect. His experience and professionalism helped when the German manager was in the process of rebuilding this Liverpool team.
Despite shaking up this Reds squad significantly over the past few years, Klopp has never shied away from counting on Milner when the situation calls for it. The Englishman, who even excelled in the left-back position for us a few seasons back, has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield.
What next for Liverpool and Milner?
But that doesn’t mean he is no longer an important part of this team. The ex-Borussia Dortmund manager has handed 16 league appearances to the 36-year-old veteran this season and he is often brought on late in games to sure up Liverpool’s hold on the scoreline.
Romano now claims that the Reds have offered a one-year extension to Milner, with his current contract expiring this summer. It is now apparently up to the player to accept or reject our approach.
Milner is no longer the gladiator he was during his heyday, and whether his leadership and voice in the dressing room is worth an added year of wages is something that may divide opinions within our fanbase, especially with Mohamed Salah yet to pen down a new deal.
The Egyptian’s wage demands, as per The Mirror last month, has been a point of contention between him and our board. If we offer Milner anywhere close to the £140,000-a-week that is currently earning at Anfield and fail to renew Salah’s deal, question marks would certainly be raised over our board’s approach regarding contract negotiations.
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Then again, this would apparently be a one-year extension and given that we signed Milner on a free more than 6 and a half years ago, it may not be the worst decision we make. It’s not like we lack leaders, with Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk having led their national teams in the past, but Milner’s addition to that bracket would only help young players like Harvey Elliott, who are trying to make a mark at LFC.
