Liverpool aren’t sure about their qualification for the Champions League next season, they probably won’t finish in the top four and have a tough task of winning the Europa League (If they get past Villarreal). Jurgen Klopp has stated that he would be looking at the players he has before deciding on the transfer madness next season.
There have been a number of problems for the Reds in that department while some players have picked up long-term injuries, some have not performed up to the mark while Mamadou Sakho has been suspended until further notice.
Klopp had picked up a couple of signings in Joel Matip and Marko Grujic but even the loan signing of Steven Caulker hasn’t actually proved to be that great due to his retracted playing time. Liverpool do have a lot of work to doing the summer, but first, they have to get rid of some of the deadwood in the side.
We look at three players who should be sold or released at the end of the season.
Martin Skrtel
The Slovakian might be one of the oldest Liverpool players in terms of time at the club, but that shouldn’t hide the fact that he has been one of the worst players this season. It really is a big deal if a certain Dejan Lovren takes over your place in the starting XI and the Croatian has been good, we must add.
Skrtel is 31 at the moment and has made way too many mistakes in the past two seasons and even under Jurgen Klopp, his improvement has stalled. Klopp insists on using the older Kolo Toure instead of Skrtel and that clearly shows he has not future at the club and must be sold as soon as possible.
Simon Mignolet
We would have stated Mignolet’s name higher up, but the form that Skrtel has shown in recent times has pushed the Belgian goalkeeper a slot down. Mignolet or Captain Calamity has cost Liverpool way too many points from winning positions and it is a surprise that he was not sold off in the winter window when Klopp took over.
The 28-year-old is a great one-on-one shot stopper but his ability to miss out on crosses somehow makes him a liability and he has to leave the club. The Reds might have given him a contract extension, but that should not be a reason to keep the problem causer at the club.
Christian Benteke
The big money signing from Aston Villa has basically gone down like his former club. The Belgian has not been able to make his place in the starting XI fixed and has had to sit out on the bench. Youngster Divock Origi has been preferred to the 25-year-old and a return of 9 goals from 36 games doesn’t really justify the amount spent by the Reds on Benteke.
It isn’t all Benteke’s fault, though, he is not the problem as his playing style is not the way Jurgen Klopp wants to apply at the English club. He might have been a big money signing but he has to go unfortunately for the Reds and for him.