The Jurgen Klopp era is in full swing at Liverpool, and Anfield is buzzing with optimism that under the gregarious German tactician, the Reds will be a force to contend with in the years to come.
In his first full season, Klopp led Liverpool to a creditable fourth-placed finish in the Premier League and with Champions League football back on the cards, the Reds are certainly on the right track.
They have made two major signings this summer (Dominic Solanke and Mohamed Salah) and The Statesman takes a look at the players who look set to become collateral damage as the manager looks to free up funds by offloading some unwanted talents.
Daniel Sturridge
Whenever one praises the 27-year-old’s qualities, they always begin the sentence with “When fit, Daniel Sturridge is ..”.
Unfortunately, for the talented English striker, the injury-prone tag has been hard to wash off. While he had a brilliant start to life at Anfield, scoring goals for fun with Luis Suarez, once the Uruguayan left for Barcelona, Sturridge’s career nose dived. A combination of innumerable injuries, a change in coaches and subsequently, a shift to a different system have exacerbated his misery.
Klopp clearly isn't a fan and with Salah signed, Sturridge seems to be on his way out and while there are plenty of suitors, Liverpool’s reported asking price of £40 million seems too much and unless a compromise can be reached, the striker will be warming the bench for another season.
Transfer Possibility: High
Interested Clubs: Newcastle, Arsenal, West Ham United
Mamadou Sakho
A player who polarises opinion almost every single time he takes to the pitch, is Mamadou Sakho. The man known for making funny faces can defend brilliantly in one-half and make a silly blunder in the other.
Sakho’s falling-out with Jurgen Klopp in pre-season last year complicated matters and while a loan move in January 2017 to Crystal Palace worked out well, the Frenchman’s future at Liverpool is virtually non-existent.
With the World Cup only a year away, the 27-year-old knows he needs to be at a place where he will be playing regular football if he is to make Didier Deschamps’ final squad for Russia.
However, while Liverpool want to offload him, their reported asking price of £30 million seems exorbitant and they best settle for a figure around half of that if they want to avoid another highly-paid fringe player on their books.
Transfer Possibility: Extreme
Interested Clubs: Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton
Alberto Moreno
When Liverpool signed the Spaniard from Sevilla in 2014, Moreno hit the ground sprinting and the full-back’s searing pace got fans excited with his potential.
Three years have passed and that potential doesn't seem to have been realised. Moreno is yet to be a regular starter for opposing teams have often exploited his positional and technical weaknesses and a move to Italy or his native Spain looks likely.
Serie A side Napoli were rumoured to have a €12.5 million bid rejected in April, but should a side perhaps bid for a figure close to €20 million, Liverpool would lap up the chance to offload the 24-year-old.
Transfer Possibility: High
Interested Clubs: Napoli, AC Milan, Sevilla, Inter Milan
Lucas Leiva
Lucas may get a lot of stick from opposition fans, but the Reds faithful have always held the Brazilian in high regard.
However, there is no denying that the 30-year-old is simply not the player he once was and after spending a decade at Anfield, a move to a less intense league would definitely prolong his career.
The fact that he made just 12 starts in the 2016-17 season suggests that the defensive midfielder’s star is on the wane and he cannot keep up with Klopp’s gegenpressing system.
His old club, Gremio are said to be interested but so are Turkish side Trabzonspor and proving Liverpool ask for a reasonable fee (sub-£10 million), there will be one less Brazilian playing for the Reds next season.
Transfer Possibility: High
Interested Clubs: Gremio, Trabzonspor, Newcastle United
Lazar Markovic
At 23, Markovic is still young but at Liverpool he seems to have no future, especially after the club’s signing of Mohamed Salah.
Fast and possessing a decent work-rate, the young Serbian had a tidy loan spell Hull City last season and while Klopp has not ruled out keeping him at Liverpool for next season, Markovic should move to a smaller club if he doesn't wish to stunt his development.
Three moves (loans) in as many years is a clear indicator that Markovic isn't up to the mark at Liverpool and a move, loan or permanent, seems imminent.
Marco Silva, who managed Markovic at Hull, is keen on bringing Markovic to Watford and a move to the Hornets seems perfect for the the 23-year-old.
While the Premier League market is greatly inflated, a fee in the region of £20 million would be apt for the Serbian and while Liverpool would want to loan him out for another season, most sides would be looking to complete a permanent deal.
Transfer Possibility: High
Interested Clubs: Watford, Celtic, West Ham United