Dietmar Hamann feels a raft of Liverpool stars are now facing uncertain futures at Anfield. The Reds hero also lists James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as two at-risk players.
Jurgen Klopp has overseen a dire campaign in the Premier League so far this season by the Merseyside outfit’s standards. Liverpool sit just ninth in the table after 18 games with only eight wins and six defeats. They are even now 19 points behind table-topping Arsenal, too.
Hamann believes a host of injuries to key players have proven costly for Klopp as Liverpool ‘cannot compensate’ for their absences. Darwin Nunez sat out their 3-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion last Saturday after joining the raft of Reds players currently receiving treatment.
Klopp expects to have Nunez back fit soon, via the Daily Mail, while James Milner was only on the bench at Brighton as he regains his fitness. Virgil van Dijk is also recovering from his hamstring issue. Luiz Diaz (knee), Diogo Jota (calf) and Arthur Melo (quad) are also missing.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, meanwhile, started at the Amex Stadium to register only his seventh top-flight appearance of the season so far. It was also only the 29-year-old’s fourth start in the Premier League this term. He has played a mere total of just 309 minutes for one goal.
Hamann tips Oxlade-Chamberlain and Milner for uncertain futures at Liverpool
Hamann now fears for Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future with Liverpool as the 35-cap England international is out of contract this June. Milner, Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita are also out of contract this summer. While Arthur will likely return to Juventus after his loan ends.
Klopp also has to consider the futures of a number of his other Reds stars whose contracts end in coming seasons like Thiago Alcantara (2024) and Jordan Henderson (2025). But the resources required to replace those not up to the task may prove out of Liverpool’s reach.
“They cannot compensate for the absences and have four or five players who are probably facing the end of their Liverpool careers,” Hamann wrote in his column for Sky Germany.
“Milner is 37, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contracts are expiring and they didn’t show enough in Liverpool. Fabinho hasn’t played well in the last six months. I’m not a great fan of Thiago and Henderson is always a topic, as well.
“They would have to get four or five new players in midfield alone and also strengthen their defence. They have to spend at least around 200 million for that but I don’t think they have that money.”
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