James Milner leaving Liverpool grows more probable by the day.
The 36-year-old is out of contract at Anfield this summer.
And with that, the player himself admitted before Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid on Saturday that leaving was a possibility.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has teased a potential contract extension in recent weeks, calling the ‘outstanding’ midfielder a ‘really, really important player’ following a victory at Newcastle United recently.
However, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita 12 months away from being free agents – and Mane potentially even leaving this summer – Milner is not the priority.
The 61-time England international had a two-year spell at Aston Villa earlier in his career.
And Jason McAteer has said that he can see Villa manager Steven Gerrard snapped him up on a Bosman this summer.
He said on Liverpool’s YouTube channel during the parade this afternoon: “Massively important he stays at the club in some capacity. James is getting no younger although the numbers he’s churning out are phenomenal. I can’t see him going to a Chelsea or an Arsenal or a Manchester City. You know, maybe Aston Villa.”
Leaving Liverpool?
James Milner leaving Liverpool remains likely, but the fact that it isn’t impossible for Klopp to turn around and offer him a new contract, even at this late stage, is testament to why he’d be a brilliant signing by Gerrard at Villa.
Despite his advancing years, Milner remains capable of positively affecting games at the very highest level, having started some massive Premier League outings for the Reds in recent weeks.
Klopp could’ve used Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Curtis Jones instead, but he started the former Villan and that, too, is testament to Milner as a professional and as a player.
And given he could be available for free, well it’s a no-brainer for Gerrard in the Midlands.
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