Liverpool have confirmed that James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all be leaving the club at the end of the season when their contracts expire. The four players were part of the squad that won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2019-20. In a statement, Liverpool thanked the players for their contributions and said that special tributes would be paid to them in the Reds’ final home game of the season against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Manager Jurgen Klopp had already outlined his plans for the summer transfer window, with Liverpool currently sitting fifth in the Premier League and still in contention for a Champions League spot. Milner and Firmino joined the club in 2015 under Brendan Rodgers and went on to win a historic Premier League title in 2020 – the club’s first top-flight triumph in 30 years – as well as the FA Cup last season.
Milner, who has made 330 appearances for Liverpool and 617 Premier League appearances (the third highest in the league’s history), has been linked with moves to Brighton and Leeds. Firmino has been a key figure in Liverpool’s success under Klopp, scoring 80 goals in 254 top flight appearances, but has not played since March. Keita, who signed in 2017, has made 12 appearances this season due to injury, while Oxlade-Chamberlain has made 13 appearances in total this season, the last of which was against Real Madrid in Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 exit.
The summer of 2021 will be a period of transition for Liverpool as they look to strengthen their squad after ending the season without silverware. Manager Klopp will focus on midfield as Milner, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain leave, with potential targets including Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister.