5 Players Liverpool should sell ahead of the 2023-24 Premier League Season
After being in the title picture for consecutive years, Liverpool was deprived of a UEFA Champions League spot in the 2022-23 Premier League season. The Reds kept a similar team for almost half of a decade and with the departure of Sadio Mane and the arrival of a couple of new attackers last season, the team’s performance took a huge dip.
Jurgen Klopp’s men started the season in a disappointing way as they struggled to record even a couple of wins. However, eventually ending fifth with 67 points, they managed to secure some European football on their side.
The Reds will be participating in the UEFA Europa League and given the fact that Klopp’s men have played three UEFA Champions League finals in the last five years, playing in the second tier of European competition will be a different experience for the Merseyside-based club.
Consequently, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and James Milner left the Reds at the end of the season and would need a couple of players to make a charge for top four in the coming season. With the confirmation of Alexis Mac Allister’s signing, it has become more obvious that Klopp is looking forward to a possible makeover of the side.
Here are the top five players Liverpool should sell ahead of the new Premier League season.
#5 Darwin Nunez
It might be early to judge, but Darwin Nunez is failing to pair up with Liverpool’s style of play. He arrived at Anfield with a huge price tag over his head which bound him with a lot of expectations from the fans. The Uruguayan was also compared with the likes of Erling Haaland after his eminent display against Manchester City in Community Shield.
However, the former Benfica striker’s world soon started falling apart and he also headbutted Joachim Andersen and ended up getting a red card leading to a suspension. Consequently, he became a top-grossing topic in the news, but for all the bad reasons.
Scoring 15 goals in a total of 42 appearances, Nunez underperformed in his debut season for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Moreover, with the arrival of Cody Gakpo, friendly competition has also fueled at Anfield for a spot in the starting XI. Thus, focusing on Gakpo, Liverpool should sign a more reliable player for the wing.
#4 Joel Matip
Matip is past the 30-year mark and his injury concerns could hamper the club
Joel Matip was rumored to leave the Merseyside club a few months back, however, the talks about his transfer are currently sidelined. The 31-year-old joined Liverpool in 2016 on a free transfer from Schalke after spending seven years with the German side.
At that time, the Reds were in a struggling stage but after three years, he managed to lift the prestigious UEFA Champions League title with Liverpool in the 2018-19 season. Regular game time never came Matip’s way with Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk a bit ahead in the pecking order and injuries also restricted him from reaching his full potential.
The period that was supposed to be his prime years in the top football league turned out to be troublesome for the former Cameroon International. With the arrival of Ibrahima Konate, his remaining chances of becoming a starter depleted drastically. Thus, he’ll be getting fewer minutes in the Premier League for the Reds.
#3 Fabio Carvalho
Another Liverpool signing that failed to impress on the top level was Fabio Carvalho. The Reds signed the attacking midfielder from another Premier League side Fulham in 2022. After the signing of 2022 World Cup winner, Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, Liverpool has drawn a major step in making their midfield stable, a major talking point for them over the years.
The Reds would be having options such as Alexis Mac Allister, Fabinho, Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Harvey Elliott, and Curtis Jones as prominent options in the midfield. Hence, Carvalho will be overlooked in the list of experienced players because Klopp prefers defensive tactics and the 20-year-old can end up similarly to Rhian Brewster if he fails to find another club.
#2 Nathaniel Phillips
Despite decent performances, Phillips has always failed to get an eminent spot in the starting XI
Liverpool’s 2020-21 PL season defensive hero, Nathaniel Phillips should look forward to leaving the club as soon as he can. Since the return of Virgil van Dijk in the starting line-up, Phillips has found himself on the bench for a long time. He’s already 26 years old and he should be playing regularly during his prime years.
Pairing up with Rhys Williams, the Englishman displayed his defensive prowess and helped the Reds secure a UEFA Champions League spot amidst a massive injury crisis in the 2020-21 season. Following the age factor, Williams would be the board’s first choice over Phillips.
Moreover, the last time he played for the Red outfit was in April, when Liverpool squared off against the likes of Chelsea, the match ended as a draw. Collectively, he got to make only two appearances in the English top-tier football in the 2022-23 season.
#1 Adrian
Adrian was signed by Liverpool in 2019 as a backup for their first-choice netminder, Alisson Becker. However, the Spaniard has only managed to make a total of 14 appearances in top-flight games for the Merseyside club. Last season, he wore the red outfit only once when Liverpool locked horns against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Consequently, Adrian was shifted to the third spot in the order of goalkeepers when Caoimhin Kelleher was given a chance to play a Premier League game last season and since then, Klopp has shown more trust in the 24-year-old Irishman over the last couple of years.
Alisson Becker will remain as the top man to be in the goal for Liverpool and it’s highly unlikely that Adrian would be getting a chance in the net. Thus, to develop a long-term plan, Klopp will be looking forward to signing a young keeper and ending the contract of 36-year-old Adrian.
