Liverpool have the opportunity to raise further funds this summer, by selling five bit-part players…
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Liverpool are in the midst of a huge turnover in players this summer, as they prepare their squad for a return to Champions League football after a four year absence.
The Reds have already seen star striker Luis Suarez leave for Barcelona in a £75m switch while fringe players Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto have completed loan moves to Sevilla and Malaga respectively.
Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers’ side have already recruited Southampton pair Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, Bayer Leverkusen’s Emre Can and Benfica’s Lazar Markovic this summer in deals totalling around £60m.
However, with the Anfield club keen on making more signings, including the trio of Loic Remy, Dejan Lovren and Divock Origi – who are all believed to be close to sealing their respective moves to Merseyside, the Reds could do worse than to raise around £40m in additional funds by selling these five unneeded, bit-part players:
Daniel Agger
Many Liverpool fans will be devastated to see the loyal fan-favourite, Daniel Agger, leave the club this summer – but having already found first-team opportunities limited last term, the Danish international could be left out in the cold when Dejan Lovren arrives at the club.
The Reds already count Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho among their first-choice centre backs, while Lovren will push Agger down to at least fourth choice. Brendan Rodgers also has the likes of Kolo Toure, Sebastian Coates, Martin Kelly and Tiago Illori on his books, and Agger’s £80,000-per-week wages could be enough to convince the Reds boss to let the 29-year-old leave.
Lucas
Lucas’s future in Liverpool has looked progressively more uncertain in recent weeks, especially following the arrival of Emre Can from Bayer Leverkusen – who will be hoping to take the Brazilian’s role in the Reds midfield.
The 27-year-old is believed to be closing in on a loan switch to Napoli, with the Italian team having the option to make the deal permanent next summer. Lucas made only 20 Premier League appearances last season, after facing competition from Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson for his place in the team, and seems likely to fall further down the pecking order this summer.
Fabio Borini
Fabio Borini is widely believed to be closing in on a £14m move to Sunderland, with the two teams having agreed a deal for the Italian, who enjoyed a successful season on loan at the Stadium of Light during the previous campaign.
However, Borini has travelled with the Reds on their pre-season tour of the US, and rumours suggest that the player is unsure on the potential switch. If Rodgers and co are able to push through the move, it will be viewed as a great piece of business to secure a £3m profit on a player who has only scored two goals for the club.
Pepe Reina
While Liverpool have begun to entertain the idea of keeping hold of Pepe Reina, to add competition to their goalkeeping position, his £70,000-per-week wages are a huge deterrent to leaving him as Simon Mignolet’s understudy.
It was announced last month that the Spanish international was unlikely to make his loan move to Napoli permanent, and he has since been included in Liverpool’s summer tour of the US. However, if a potential suitor can be found, Reina is surely unlikely to remain at Anfield this coming season.
Oussama Assaidi
Oussama Assaidi has struggled to make an impact at Anfield, and reports suggest that Stoke could make a £7m bid to bring the player, who spent last season on loan at the Britannia Stadium, back to the Potteries.
The deal would represent a big profit for the Reds, who signed the Moroccan international for just £2.4m from Heerenveen in 2012. Assaidi has only made four Premier League appearances for Liverpool, who would surely jump at the chance to almost treble their money.