Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool currently sit atop the English Premier League thanks to goal difference. The Reds have been perfect this season obtaining 12 points from 12 an allowing just one goal. Although only four matches have been played, Reds’ management will be keeping an eye on four Liverpool players with expiring contracts at the end of this season. Liverpool will have some big decisions to make on each player come next summer.
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4 Liverpool players in the last year of their contracts
Lazar Markovic
Lazar Markovic fell off the face of the Earth the day he signed a Liverpool contract. Hyperbole aside, Markovic has been a non-entity since joining the Reds in July 2014 for £22.5 million. In his one season in Portugal, Markovic helped lead the team to the Portuguese title and the Europa League Final. Benfica lost to Sevilla in the final as Markovic missed through suspension.
His first season at Anfield saw Markovic tally three goals in 34 games in all competitions. A respectable mark after making the move from Benfica. Since the 2014-15 season, Markovic hasn’t played a minute for Liverpool. He has been sent on four loans and would have been sold to Anderlecht in the summer had his £2.9m deal not collapsed. His contract ends in June 2019, and Liverpool are counting the days to get his £35,000 per week off the books.
Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge has given his fading Liverpool career a bit of life this season. The striker has one goal in three appearances and looks like a solid back up to Roberto Firmino. Just five seasons ago, Sturridge tallied 21 league goals. Liverpool may offer him a new deal if he can show his worth in limited appearances. He is hungry to earn a new deal and remain at a top club. It is doubtful Sturridge would be offered a similar deal at another top-five Premier League club. Sturridge’s current £120,000 per week could be the biggest sticking point in negotiations for a new deal.
James Milner
Thirty-two-year-old James Milner may be getting up there in years, but of the four Liverpool players with expiring contracts, he is the most important for the Reds to keep. Milner not only arrived on a free transfer in 2015, but he can play multiple positions for Klopp. He also works for the team throughout a 90-minute match. Like Sturridge, Milner makes £120,000 a week, a wage that isn’t out of the question for another season of high-quality play.
Alberto Moreno
For so long, Alberto Moreno was the scapegoat of lazy pundits. Yes, Moreno was at fault for awful defending in the Europa League Final in 2016. However, he has improved since that final loss. Part of that could be because he is the backup to Andrew Robertson and Milner before that. Moreno does have his upside and keeping him at the club keeps continuity. In addition, the Reds play a lot of games in a season and having Moreno to fill-in for Robertson or as a late-game substitute can be the difference in keeping a lead and giving one up.
Moreno makes £40,000 a week, which is not too large a sum in the hyperinflated Premier League. In August it was reported Moreno would be offered a new contract. The same had been claimed about Ragnar Klavan, but he was sold following the reports.
All Liverpool players and their financial data is courtesy of Spotrac.