Report: Liverpool give up on 3 players as first-team regulars

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Liverpool believe three players, in particular, won’t make it as first-team regulars. It’s a belief that will push them into the transfer market.

This comes from Goal. They claim that Liverpool will move for a new attacker this summer, regardless of their league finish.

That means the Reds will spend on a player even without Champions League income. There’s a very real risk they fall outside the top four, after all.

The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, they believe Jurgen Klopp needs a fresher squad after limited additions over the last few years.

But there’s also an acceptance that Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri are never going to be first-team regulars at Liverpool.

What RTK has to say

It’s hard to argue with that belief. Certainly with what we’ve seen over the previous 18 months.

Origi, for instance, has delivered next to nothing since the 2019 Champions League final. We’ll always love him for that, of course, but it doesn’t buy him a third season of nothing.

We expect him to move on this summer and few could argue against it.

Shaqiri is an interesting one. He’s looked quite good this season when he’s played and feels like a genuine first-team option.

But injuries make him unreliable, while he also turns 30 later this year. It’s probably time to replace him with a younger model – Harvey Elliott?

Then there’s Minamino. It all depends on how much he shows for Southampton between now and the end of the campaign.

If he proves he’s Premier League standard, then Liverpool will surely keep him around. Even just as a low-down-the-list squad option.

But if he can’t show that, we think he might be off. Minamino has never delivered for Liverpool, outside of that 7-0 win over Crystal Palace. He’s either looked lightweight or lost – both make him a difficult player to use.

All in all, the decision to sign someone is a good one. Liverpool need more reliable attacking backup.