Liverpool announce four players will ‘leave this summer’ as Brighton transfer edges closer
Liverpool have confirmed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and James Milner will all leave the club this summer.
All four players have been good servants for Liverpool but their contracts are due to expire at the end of this season.
Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita have been hampered by injuries over the past few years and they have barely featured for the Premier League giants of late. Firmino and Milner have meanwhile been key assets but they are being let go as Jurgen Klopp intends to overhaul his squad this summer.
The Reds are expected to sign two or three midfielders this summer and they may also look to strengthen in defence. A statement via their club website read.
‘Liverpool FC can confirm Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will leave the club upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.
‘The quartet will each embark on new chapters in their careers following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, having helped the Reds lift a host of the game’s biggest honours during their spells at Anfield.’
It was first indicated back in March that Firmino will be leaving Liverpool this summer. He apparently was “refusing to speak to anybody else” before his exit was announced.
It is unclear who Firmino, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain will be playing for next season, but Milner is expected to join Brighton on a free transfer.
Everton have shown interest in Milner but is understood that he will sign for Brighton when his contract at Liverpool expires.
The Seagulls are not messing around as they have already agreed to buy Joao Pedro from Watford for a fee of around £30m. Borussia Dortmund star Mahmoud Dahoud meanwhile is set to join Milner in moving to the south coast on a free transfer.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi was asked about Dahoud during his press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
“I know very well Dahoud but he’s not official at the moment,” De Zerbi said.
“He’s not official yet and we will speak about him later, in the next press conference.”
After a reporter said “it sounds like he’s coming”, De Zerbi replied: “Yes, because we have no secret and I like him and I would like to work with him.”
Yet he is not completely resigned to losing the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, contrary to reports following the weekend win at Emirates Stadium.
“I didn’t say it like this,” he said. “I said it can be the possibility to lose some big players, like Caicedo maybe, Mac Allister, (Kaoru) Mitoma, I don’t know.
“But we are Brighton and I know the policy of my club and we have to be ready to bring in other good players with the right characteristics.”
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