Liverpool have left of a lot of their transfer dealings to the end of the window, and a number of those searching for game time are expected to depart in the coming weeks.
The Reds have kicked off their 2020/21 season with two consecutive victories and have been boosted by the arrivals of Thiago, Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas this summer.
On the outgoing front, the club has bid farewell to Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Ovie Ejaria, Andy Lonergan and Nathaniel Clyne on a permanent basis, while youngsters Tony Gallacher, Morgan Boyes, Adam Lewis, Taiwo Awoniyi and Sheyi Ojo have all moved on loan.
But with the end of the summer transfer window nearing on October 5 – with domestic deals running until October 16 – the Reds still have a number of players to offload either permanently or on loan.
Here we run you through 14 players who we can expect to ply their trade elsewhere in 2020/21 – and beyond for some.
Loris Karius
The 27-year-old spent the last two seasons on loan with Besiktas before terminating his deal early, ending a turbulent stint which saw him on the end of wages disputes and, at times, widespread criticism.
Karius trained with the squad throughout pre-season and remains at Melwood, but the position is he will be sold once a buyer is found as there is no short- or long-term future at Anfield.
Ligue 1’s Montpellier were credited with interest early in the window, but a £6 million price tag has not seen any potential deal move forward as of yet.
Yasser Larouci
The left-back made his intentions known earlier in the summer after refusing to sign a new deal with Liverpool, which in part triggered a move for Tsimikas.
Larouci had been regularly involved with first-team training and made two senior appearances last season, but all parties agreed a permanent switch would be best.
The 19-year-old is in the final year of his deal and as such the club could be forced to accept a cut-price deal in the region of £2 million.
Brentford and Leeds are reported suitors.
Nat Phillips
Phillips enjoyed a successful loan spell with Stuttgart last season, one which saw the centre-back feature 22 times for the German side as they secured promotion back to the Bundesliga.
At 23, regular senior football will be at the top of his agenda and despite ongoing discussions surrounding Liverpool’s first-team needs at centre-back, Phillips is not the solution.
He has, however, attracted widespread interest from the Championship and across Europe.
Nottingham Forest had headlined interest but a pursuit of defender Scott McKenna could scupper any deal.
Xherdan Shaqiri
This one seems to be a case of if the fee is right.
Shaqiri was on the periphery of Jurgen Klopp‘s plans last season and, in addition to a series of injuries, made just 11 appearances – and with Takumi Minamino and Diogo Jota now in the mix in addition to Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, opportunities could be hard to come by.
Liverpool had set an asking price of £27 million earlier in the year, but will need to except a lot less within the current climate to get a deal over the line.
Marko Grujic
Two back-to-back loan spells with Hertha Berlin saw Grujic earn invaluable experience as a member of the Bundesliga club’s midfield, making a total of 54 appearances.
There has been interest from the German side in keeping him at the Olympiastadion, but they have not been able to strike a deal amid a valuation of £20 million – Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach, Atalanta, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa have all been linked.
His sale would raise valuable funds but recent reports have planted a seed that he could stay until January amid a congested fixture list.
Harry Wilson
Wilson is another player Liverpool would like in the region of £20 million for and their stance appears to be that they will keep him on board should his valuation not be met, instead of another loan.
The 23-year-old spent 2019/20 with Bournemouth, making a total of 35 appearances in what was his third successive temporary switch following time with Hull and Derby.
He has been training at Melwood with the first team and could be used in the League Cup before making a move, with Aston Villa, Leeds, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Southampton all said to have sent out feelers.
Ben Woodburn (Loan)
It’s been a topsy-turvy few years for Woodburn, with two successive foot injuries derailing what had looked to be a promising loan switch to Oxford last season.
The 20-year-old trained with the under-23s throughout the summer and has since captained the side in their opening two games of the season – but new pastures are needed to breathe life into his career.
He is expected to join Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam on a season-long loan, the club where Gini Wijnaldum started out and one which was encouraged by Pep Lijnders.
Divock Origi
Origi saw himself drop further down the pecking order in Klopp’s attacking following the arrival of Jota, with even a place in the matchday squad now uncertain.
The forward signed a new deal last summer but Liverpool seemingly would not be opposed to parting with their No. 27 should the right deal come along.
Movement could be expected following their League Cup obligations this month, where Aston Villa, Brighton, Fulham and Wolves have been spoken of as potential suitors – the only question is if anyone will meet Liverpool’s valuation.
Herbie Kane
Kane has featured twice for the first team having played in the League Cup ties against Aston Villa and MK Dons last season, but the midfielder does not have a long-term future at Anfield.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a successful half-season loan with Hull in the Championship at the back end of 2019/20, only for a hamstring injury to bring it to a premature end.
The Tigers would then drop into League One and despite their desire to keep Kane, finances and their new position could dictate otherwise – the player has publicly flirted with a return to Bristol City.
Sepp van den Berg (Loan)
The Dutchman has not seen everything go his way since landing on Merseyside last summer, and he now finds himself further down in the pecking order behind 17-year-old Billy Koumetio.
Another season at under-23 level would provide game time, but the centre-back could benefit from proving himself in a senior environment elsewhere before staking a claim at Liverpool.
A club on the continent could fit the bill and act as a confidence-booster.
Liam Millar (Loan)
Millar has started the 2020/21 season at the academy with Barry Lewtas‘ under-23s, featuring in their opening two games.
But another loan, after spending time with Kilmarnock and playing 36 games, is expected for the winger and he looks to continue his development alongside his international exploits at senior level with Canada.
The Championship is beckoning for the 20-year-old, though the process of finding a club is slow.
Rhian Brewster
This one is the most divisive of the bunch: a loan or permanent switch?
The latter has gained momentum in recent days, with both Crystal Palace and Sheffield United reported frontrunners in a deal which is likely to include both buy-back and sell-on clauses.
The talented forward would return a sizeable fee and would be in accordance with the club’s transfer policy, but there remains resistance from supporters to part with the 20-year-old after showing considerable promise.
It will come down to if the fee is right and how Brewster wants to get first-team football under his belt.
Anderson Arroyo (Loan)
The full-back was signed in 2018, but having struggled to get a work permit he has become a forgotten face within the extended squad – with three different loan spells so far.
First-team experience is key for his hopes of being granted a permit in the UK and he is now expected to join Portuguese top-flight side Tondela on a season-long loan.
There, he will work with Pako Ayestaran, Liverpool’s assistant manager under Rafa Benitez.
Kamil Grabara (Loan)
The 21-year-old goalkeeper enjoyed a positive spell with Huddersfield in the Championship last season before a nasty head knock derailed his campaign.
Having now recovered and with a well-stocked goalkeeping group at the club, he is set to join Greek side PAOK on loan – having also earned interest from the Championship – although a permanent switch is unlikely to be off the table.
Another season in a first-team setup and competing with other senior ‘keepers, if just a loan, will hold Grabara in good stead should he wish to challenge for a spot in Klopp’s side in the future.
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