Liverpool look set to release the attacking midfielder it seems.
Phil Thompson has told Sky Sports that Liverpool might need a like-for-like replacement for Adam Lallana.
The former Southampton attacker looks set to leave the Reds on a Bosman after six years at Anfield.
Lallana, a £25 million signing in 2014 [BBC Sport], is out of contract with Liverpool in June and an extension is unlikely to be tabled, with Premier League football suspended for the past five weeks.
It has been suggested that Jurgen Klopp could promote Curtis Jones rather than spend money on signing a proper replacement.
But club legend Thompson reckons that Lallana of five years ago is precisely the sort of creative player that Klopp will need when he loses the man himself.
He told Sky Sports: “I do think we need a bit of a creative player. I know they’re talking about Adam Lallana going, but he is that sort of player.
“If you go back five years you’d be looking to bring Lallana in. He’s the creative one in that hole behind Bobby Firmino, and I think that is an important place we can look to strengthen.”
Lallana has been a good servant for the club, but if Klopp really is in the market for a more experienced replacement than Jones then he’s probably going to want a higher calibre of player than the 31-year-old was, even during his prime.
If we’re honest, Liverpool are a much bigger side now than they were when Lallana came in six years ago, and that means there’s a higher standard.
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