Report: Ball now in FSG’s court as Liverpool & Klopp try to renew ‘very important’ player’s contract

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FSG hold the final say on James Milner’s new contract with Liverpool, according to reports. There’s a push to get it renewed.

This comes from the Athletic. They claim that Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp both want to renew James Milner’s contract with Liverpool.

Milner isn’t asking for too much, it seems. The report claims neither his wage demands nor contract length is a problem – it comes down to whether FSG want to keep a 36-year-old on the books. That’s not a given.

As we saw last season, the club didn’t want to renew Gini Wijnaldum’s contract for the money he asked for. He was over 30, limiting the long-term investment. Milner, who turns 37 at the turn of 2023, certainly isn’t a long-term investment.

Klopp continues to champion the player, though, and his desire to keep him. The question is whether that’s enough to convince FSG that Milner should stay around at least one more season.

James Milner and his Liverpool contract

This is a bit of a tricky one, admittedly, but if Klopp wants Milner around, Liverpool should pay him. It just makes sense at this stage as the Reds have a side competing at the very, very top.

Short-term goals should be the priority, then, and Milner is absolutely someone to have around as the Reds chase trophies. Not only can he perform on the pitch, as we saw on Saturday, but Klopp was keen to point out the off-pitch benefits.

“He’s a role model,” said Klopp, per Liverpoolfc.com. “I told him and can I tell the world nothing what we achieved in the last few years would have happened over the last few years without James Milner.

“Easy as that, whether he was on the pitch or not. It’s because he set the standards in a way not a lot of people can set standards. He has educated all of us.”

Honestly, that should be that.