With his current contract set to expire at the end of the season, and no extension forthcoming, Jerome Sinclair is to leave Liverpool this summer.
Sinclair made his first start for Liverpool in this month’s 2-2 draw away to Exeter City in the FA Cup, suggesting that a long-running contract dispute may have come to an end.
But, according to BBC Sport, the former West Bromwich Albion youth has expressed a desire to the leave the club at the end of 2015/16.
“Sinclair will leave Anfield when his contract expires in the summer,” Simon Stone writes.
“The Reds offered the striker a new deal but the 19-year-old wants to explore the possibility of a move to Spain.”
Sinclair has been linked with moves to Watford, Man City, FC Gronigen and Espanyol so far this January, with the latter now the most likely destination.
The academy star’s unrest has coincided with the appointment of the controversial Aidy Ward as his agent, with Ward having devised Raheem Sterling’s big-money departure from Merseyside in the summer.
A place in Jurgen Klopp‘s starting lineup against Exeter seemed to highlight a future for the striker at Anfield, indicating a possible move to La Liga as a cynical one.
If Sinclair joined Espanyol, for example, the Spanish side would pay Liverpool a modest compensation fee of around £250,000.
Conversely, if the striker joined Watford in the summer, the Hornets would contribute a significantly higher amount, determined by tribunal.
Moving to Espanyol would likely see both player and agent pocket hefty signing-on fees.
With Klopp’s attacking options relatively thin at this stage, Sinclair’s brand of fast-paced forward play would offer the German an invaluable option—as well as one for the future.
Now, his short spell on Merseyside seems likely to end, and it will be interesting to see if Klopp includes the Englishman in his side for Wednesday night’s FA Cup replay.
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