Liverpool delay move from Melwood to Kirkby as part of short pre-season

Liverpool have opted to extend their stay at their training ground at Melwood so as not to disrupt their preparations for the 2020/21 season, which begin in mid-August.

The Reds are due back for pre-season training in around two weeks, with Jurgen Klopp giving his squad a short break following the delayed end to their title-winning campaign.

Next season is due to begin on September 12, which will give the first team almost a month to prepare for the defence of their title and the pursuit of No. 20.

Circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic forced work on the new £50 million facility at Kirkby to pause earlier this year, but the redevelopment has since restarted on a major change to Liverpool’s operation.

However, while plans were in place to move to the site ahead of 2020/21, Klopp and his players will now remain at Melwood for another season.

That is according to the Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe, who reports that the Reds will decide when to move to their new training ground at the end of the summer.

With social-distancing measures already in place at Melwood, including a new one-way system and temporary changing rooms, this is a sensible move as the first team gear up for a truncated pre-season.

This also allows further time for the finishing touches to be made on a state-of-the-art facility at Kirkby, which will accommodate all age groups from the academy to the senior squad.

A decision is yet to be made on whether the Liverpool women’s side will be able to train at the site, however, with their deal with Tranmere’s Prenton Park due to the expire in 2021.

No plans have been announced at this stage for pre-season friendlies for the Reds, either, but they are likely to play a series of domestic ties—as they did before the Premier League restart.

Blackburn visited Anfield for a warmup clash behind closed doors in June, with Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino, Joel Matip, Ki-Jana Hoever and Leighton Clarkson all scoring in a 6-0 win.

There is a chance Liverpool could still go on the road for some of their preparations for 2020/21, but whether they will be permitted to travel abroad is unclear.

In recent years, Klopp has preferred a training camp in his native Germany, and at this stage there are no restrictions on entry to the country from the UK, nor are there on returning to England.