Many Liverpool players have faced critical segments of their preseason. Some, like Ryan Kent and Harry Wilson, have found themselves on loan with a chance to get regular first-team football. Others, though, still have their futures undecided by Jurgen Klopp and the club and find their careers hanging in the balance. Here, I'll talk a look at six Liverpool players and judge what would be best for them and the club: to stay, to leave, or to exit on loan. Let's begin!
Danny Ings:
One of the bigger stories of the preseason has been Ings. His injury struggles have been well-documented and his goal drought under Klopp finally saw an end late last season. Still, it seems unlikely that he will find regular football here at Liverpool and was at times last season behind both Bobby Firmino and Dominic Solanke in the pecking order. He has been an inspiration, but news had broken previously this preseason that he was set to leave the club in search for regular matches and stayed behind for blister treatment while the club voyaged to the United States.
Verdict: Leave via Transfer
With Crystal Palace reportedly interested for as much as £20 million flat, going up to £25 million, and additionally with Newcastle also having interest, the club really cannot say no to this sort of offer. With this sort of money, combined with Danny Ward's Leicester exit, Liverpool look set to make over £30 million from two players who started four games combined last season. Ings is a genuine "what if" for the club. Pre-injury, his pace combined with finishing seemed to make the English capped man a prime fit for Klopp's style of play. Unfortunately it never panned out and it seems only right to allow Ings to get a fresh start elsewhere.
Divock Origi:
Another "what if" for Liverpool, just as tragic a story. Origi was vitally important to Liverpool's Europa League campaign until Ramiro Funes Mori injured him in an edition of the Merseyside Derby sidelining him for the remainder of the season, not returning until the final against Sevilla as a sub for about 20 minutes. He had an impressive five-match goal streak the year after, but never truly looked the same player and his loan stint with Wolfsburg was hardly convincing. Origi also has just a year remaining on his current contract with the club.
Verdict: Leave via Transfer
Watford have been reported to hold interest in loaning Origi, but this makes no sense for the club and they are well-aware. They know what they have in Origi and would risk losing him on a free in the summer. Valencia are interested in the Belgian international and after a weak 45 minutes against Dortmund, he did not play in the States against City or United. Origi is full of pace and strength and still has some finishing ability in him, plus he's just 23. But Liverpool are not convinced and seem to think his best days at Liverpool are in the past and it's time to move on.
Dominic Solanke:
The third striker on this list and also the youngest. Solanke was signed last season from Chelsea and a brilliant U-21 World Cup, but despite a stellar preseason, he never hit his form in the regular season suffering from a bit of poor luck with a goal against West Brom perhaps harshly ruled out as a handball. He found the net against Brighton and Hove Albion in the final match of the season, but similar to Origi, he really has only shown flashes of potential while remaining raw. In addition, with Daniel Sturridge's resurgence this preseason, suddenly strikers at the club have become a bit more expendable.
Verdict: Loan Spell
We cannot kid ourselves off one season. Solanke is still just 20 years old (though soon to be 21) and remains far from a finished product. He spent the vast majority of the season coming off the bench with just five starts out of 26 appearances, many just brief cameos. Solanke is tall and quick and yet to fully grow into his body. It seems the club will keep him within the organization based on numerous reports, which is fine, but in my opinion he really needs regular game time to gain that added maturity that comes with experience. Rangers have been discussed as a likely option, but with Umar Sadiq, a young and lanky Nigerian striker who stands 6'3" with pace to spare, brought in on loan from Roma and Alfredo Morales already in place, the most probable landing spot is unlikely to provide a vast quantity of game time. Perhaps you can find somewhere else, and I would attempt to, but Solanke's growth certainly won't be hindered at Liverpool.
Sheyi Ojo:
Another young English winger in the Liverpool ranks, Ojo is coming off a solid campaign for Fulham, who he helped earn promotion. The wide-man is just 21-years-old and has bounds of potential for the club, helped along by some nice showings this preseason. He still remains an unfinished product, but his pace is a very strong attribute and he does indeed already have a handful of appearances with the Liverpool senior side, if that perhaps counts for anything in Jurgen Klopp's mind. He was, however, left off the 29-man training squad to France which could imply his future, at least this season, is elsewhere.
Another young English winger in the Liverpool ranks, Ojo is coming off a solid campaign for Fulham, who he helped earn promotion. The wide-man is just 21-years-old and has bounds of potential for the club, helped along by some nice showings this preseason. He still remains an unfinished product, but his pace is a very strong attribute and he does indeed already have a handful of appearances with the Liverpool senior side, if that perhaps counts for anything in Jurgen Klopp's mind. He was, however, left off the 29-man training squad to France which could imply his future, at least this season, is elsewhere.
Verdict: Stay
This is a similar case to Solanke's where my personal opinion differs from what it seems the club are looking to do. Adama Traore's injury has halted his reported transfer to Wolves for the time being, but Ojo is being heavily linked with Middlesbrough as a potential replacement for Adama as a loan signing. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest also have reportedly been weighing their options to making a transfer bid, however I would not bite at this. Personally, I would keep Ojo at the club as a bit of depth. Middlesbrough is managed by Tony Pulis and while he has success as a manager, his style of play is very far from that of Liverpool's. A season in and around the first-team of Liverpool would allow him to get game time when available as a back-up to Mane and Salah along with Shaqiri. A season on loan, though, would indeed allow him plenty of regular match experience and could still be valuable for his development as a player.
Marko Grujic:
The offseason has been a bit quieter around Grujic, but his story is still an interesting one to watch. Loaned out to promoted Cardiff City, despite Neil Warnock's immediate placement of him on the bench following hitting the set criteria of games played set by Liverpool, Cardiff has yet again expressed interest in the big midfielder. Marko is 22 now and remains incredibly young, but also very raw. The midfielder needs to continue to emphasis understanding how to play smart (i.e., avoiding careless and reckless fouls) while still remaining his own technical self.
Verdict: Stay
I think this could be a real year of growth for Grujic alongside the midfield depth at the club. Another year at Cardiff as they will likely fight to stay up and try to nick points playing defensively does not set Marko up for a future at Liverpool. Grujic is quick on the ball and incredibly skilled for being so big and still very young, but at times you'd never know it because of his tendency to commit fouls that can really be unnecessary. At Liverpool he would be surrounded by players like Naby Keita, who has faced similar criticism, a natural leader in Jordan Henderson, a supremely skilled defensive-mid in Fabinho, while he also continues to find himself as an attacker. I do not think he will see much Premier League game-time in the deep midfield, and that is fine. A goal for Grujic's development should be having him ready to play a more expanded role next season and the season after within the club.
Loris Karius:
The final man on this list is someone we really do have to talk about. With Ward gone, Simon Mignolet set to leave potentially to Besiktas, and Alisson now brought in, the complexion of first-team keepers at Liverpool has changed completely. Karius has seemed to drop quotes that imply his unhappiness with the current situation and Caoimhin Kelleher's decent preseason has also drawn eyes to the young Irishman, but he still seems too young to waste as a back-up keeper this season. It seems unlikely for Liverpool to make a massive jolt to Liverpool's goalie set-up just weeks before the regular season begins. However, there is the massive question that looms over Karius' head if he can ever truly have a fresh start again at Liverpool in the eyes of supporters.
Verdict: Stay
Karius was solid in goal last season. If you're going to react harshly to keeper mistakes, sure, the Champions League final isn't the best time to have a poor outing. That said, the reactions coming as a result of preseason performances have been a bit too much in my eyes. What the club needs from Karius is him to be a solid back-up and provide the same positive energy that Mignolet did last season when he was relegated to second-string keeper while, at the same time, remaining ready if Alisson suffers an injury or providing occasional league and cup game depth (though more likely cup game). If Karius is indeed reacting negatively to Alisson being brought in, I do understand, but at the same time I hope he understands that this is a challenge for him to rise up to, not shrink from. Talks of a loan or permanent exit have only been speculation by supporters, and that is the level I expect them to remain at.
Final Thoughts:
These are just six of the key first-teamers I think have the most interesting storylines. There are still many more that already seem headed with one foot out the door, like the aforementioned Mignolet and Lazar Markovic, along with Pedro Chirivella who is reportedly soon to join Rosenborg in Norway permanently. Of course, there is also the case of Daniel Sturridge who has seemingly played his way back into the hearts of supporters as he hopes to avoid another injury, the only thing that has been truly able to halt his career. Ben Woodburn is also reportedly very near a deal to spend a season on loan with Sheffield United. The transfer window is soon to close, but for Liverpool, many questions remain rather open to interpretation.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more transfer discussion, as well as plenty of other Liverpool talk as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball discussion.
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