Adam Lallana joined Liverpool from Southampton five years ago for a fee of £20million.
Former Southampton captain Francis Benali has indicated that he would be open to seeing Adam Lallana return to St Mary’s – in quotes reported by the Daily Star – but he is not sure if the fans will share his viewpoint.
Like Benali, Lallana is a former Saints skipper and something of a modern day legend, given that he rose through the ranks before inspiring the club from the third tier to the Premier League in the space of just two years.
But the England international walked out to join Liverpool in the summer of 2014 for a deal worth £20 million, according to the BBC. His fifth season at Anfield could well be his last, however, with Lallana making just five Premier League starts this season under Jurgen Klopp.
And Benali has indicated that a potential return to where it all began could divide supporters, although he himself would be willing to hand the 30-year-old a clean slate.
“Would the supporters welcome players [like Lallana] back to the club? It’s a relationship between the two clubs that has certainly spiked the nerves of Southampton fans with a lot of our top players leaving for Liverpool,” Benali said.
“I just like to see good, talented and passionate players that want to play for Southampton – playing for my team.
“However that happens, I’m quite open to anything.”
Lallana has just one year remaining on his contract at Merseyside and it seems unlikely that he has a big role to play at Liverpool in the near future, especially given Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s long awaited return from injury.
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