Will be interesting how we move our midfield pieces next summer.
Highly likely that Gini leaves. I actually think it’s not impossible that he stays, but yeah, he’s probably going and I’m counting without him for next season.
Millie will be 35 and in his final year, although I don’t think it will necessarily mean much for the market situation. The club and him might together decide that he remains as a versatile backup until 2022 and then he decides what to do next with his career.
Ox is in a situation where even when he was/is fit, the whole convertion to a central midfielder didn’t happen as best as we all hoped. I certainly wouldn’t agree that he was that bad last season. But since he came, it’s been a combination of injuries, inability to play more consistent and for longer periods in a game when he’s good, us also reaching new levels. Contract until 2023, we might have a decision to make in the next 6/12 months.
Let’s say the ideal number is 6, especially when football returns to it’s “normal” rhythm. At the moment, we have 8 (quite a few of them are versatile, but that’s also part of our strength as a team).
I thought and still firmly think that Klopp sees Fabinho as first and foremost a midfielder who can do a job at CB if needed. I think he will still seek to have 4 natural CB’s going into next season. Contract until 2023, I expect the club to offer him a new deal soon as we enter into the last 2 years of his current deal, if it’s not in the process already.
Gini was the most available central midfielder I think in his time here. His quality and importance grew with time, changed in style.
I think without Gini and with everyone fit and in normal form, in most games Klopp would (as things stand and considering what level have some reached) probably pick a Fabinho, Hendo and Thiago midfield 3.
Keita I don’t think reached that level yet where he becomes a regular starter when they’re all fit and in normal form. Improvement? Certain is visible, yes. But still not enough and who knows if he will ever be. Age is on his side though, but his contract is also up to 2023 and, like Ox (but perhaps a little less), there might be a decision to make in the next 6/12 months.
So as things stand, out of 8 of them, 1 will almost surely leave, 1 we have to monitor every year and see what’s best for all parties, decision to make over 2 of them.
Keita and even Ox might see their opportunity in us still needing numbers. Midfield was a very strong area for us in last years, we almost always had one or two players there who you knew what you’d get from them and there was nothing less than that.
But they would also be then in their final 2 years and I also hope we’re not handing 5-year contracts left, right and centre, as easily as we did with Matip (him not playing international football probably played a big part and we took it knowing that the best case scenario, he might never play more than 30ish games per season in all competitions) and especially Origi (hopefully we can still sell him for decent money), all shortly after Madrid.
At one point last summer it was said that we might sell Ox, but then Pearce said the club still counted on him. Doesn’t have to be true of course.
Pearce also said that he believes the club would seek for a Gini replacement, even with us having enough numbers if he left, say, tomorrow. Let’s see what type of player that would be (as for that CB we will aim). We knew more or less what type of forward we were looking for last summer. Interested to see what we do at CB and CM now.