LFC to sell Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain

Liverpool will not keep hold of out-of-favour midfielders Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of the season, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Midfield pair out of favour

The Reds have endured a painful season to date, finding themselves battling only for a top-four finish in the Premier League, following exits from every other competition.

Liverpool’s midfield has been a big reason for their struggles, with the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago not possessing the legs they once did, and youngsters Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott still very much learning their game.

Injuries to some of those players have constantly been an issue and Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain have been hugely problematic, in that respect.

They have been continually out of the team, starting only seven league games between them, and even when they have been fit, they have often been overlooked.

The Latest: Summer exit expected

Writing in his daily briefing for Substack, Romano claimed that both Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain would depart Liverpool alongside Roberto Firmino once the summer transfer window arrives, with their contracts expiring:

“I expect both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to follow Roberto Firmino and leave Liverpool on a free transfer this summer.

“James Milner will decide in the next months, he will speak to Jurgen Klopp too. For all the other players, it will be decided in May/June ahead of the transfer window. Firmino, Keita and Oxlade will explore options soon but nothing is decided yet.”

The Verdict: Both hugely disappointing

This is absolutely the correct decision from Liverpool, with both Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain flattering to deceive far too much to justify being retained beyond the summer.

Injuries have clearly played a big part in their struggles, which is not their fault, but their overall impact for the Reds has diminished greatly as the years have passed.

Keita has simply never managed to get going in a Liverpool shirt after arriving with such a huge reputation from RB Leipzig, making just 129 appearances as he approaches five years at the club.

Meanwhile, Oxlade-Chamberlain never seems to have fully recovered from the cruciate ligament injury that he suffered against Roma back in 2018, at a point when he was in superb form and a key member of Jurgen Klopp‘s starting lineup.

He has lost that dynamism that he once possessed and other injuries have stunted his progress further down the years, and with his 30th birthday approaching this summer, he won’t be as good as he once was.