Liverpool will have to choose between two players for their Premier League squad. Someone is going to completely miss out, it seems.
Liverpool haven’t sold any of Harry Wilson, Xherdan Shaqiri or Marko Grujic.
Goal says there are no offers for Shaqiri. Burnley reportedly pulled out of a deal for Wilson (per the same source). And now the Echo claim that Weder Bremen have pulled out of a deal for Grujic.
That’s not good, seeing as Liverpool reportedly hoped to bring in £20m each with their sales. Instead, it appears that all three will be stuck at Liverpool this season.
And that creates a problem.
Pushed to the limit
Premier League squad rules say clubs can have 25 senior players. There’s a rule on homegrown players, of course, and it means clubs can’t have more than 17 players who were developed abroad.
Liverpool, should this trio stay, will have 18 in their senior squad. Now, Wilson developed at Liverpool, so no worries there. The other two, however, face a tough position.
The Reds can only choose 17 of their 18 ‘foreign’ players. One must sit out from the Premier League until January at the earliest. Given that Liverpool tried to sell Shaqiri and Grujic, they’re the most obvious two on the chopping block.
It’s not a nice situation at all, but Liverpool can only choose one. That’s the decision facing them at the deadline – who do they need more?
Grujic is certainly more reliable, given Shaqiri’s injury history. But Liverpool need cover on the wing far more than in the middle.
It’s a difficult one, then, but there won’t be any choice but to make a decision. That’s the cost of sticking to their guns over that £20m price.
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