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Liverpool could be in for an overhaul of their squad in the summer
Liverpool’s Champions League campaign came to a disappointing end on Tuesday night as they were beaten on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield. The Reds had won 1-0 in Paris but the French champions managed to win by the same scoreline after 120 minutes at Anfield to send the game to penalties.
PSG prevailed at the Anfield Road end as Liverpool are now left to prepare for the Carabao Cup final at Wembley as they also look to close in and win their second Premier League title in five years. They are 15 points ahead of Arsenal, who have a game in hand and could reduce that gap to 12 points. However, Liverpool know 16 points from the final 27 available will be enough to win the league - regardless if the Gunners win all their upcoming games.
Since his arrival at Liverpool, Arne Slot has only added Italian winger Federico Chiesa to his squad while Giorgi Mamardashvili has signed for the Reds but will not join up with the squad until the summer.
Five potential departures named
Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg has claimed that the Reds are set to make ‘several’ new signings this summer and reshape of the squad will get underway once the transfer window opens. Arne Slot has previously revealed that signings are being worked on ahead of next season.
Plettenberg revealed that the overhaul will come with a number of potential departures and named Caoimhin Kelleher, Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, and Diogo Jota as five players who could move on.
Kelleher has been linked with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Newcastle United as the Republic of Ireland international remains behind Alisson Becker in the pecking order at Anfield. Last month it was reported Liverpool would listen to offers of £30m-£40m for Kelleher. With Endo and Chiesa, the Reds would look to recoup the £15m and £12m they spent respectively on each player.
Meanwhile, the likes of Elliott and Jota would only be sold for around the same price as Kelleher. Sales of all five would generate funds well over £100m as Slot looks to put his mark on the Reds squad.
Which players could actually leave?
While many associated with Liverpool would like to see Kelleher remain at the club, the goalkeeper has made clear his desire to play more regularly. He has been an incredibly-reliable deputy to Alisson Becker but would not have trouble finding a top club in need of a new number one. Chiesa’s time at Anfield has been disappointing so far and a summer departure would come as no surprise while Endo has been used much more recently by Slot.
The Japan international has come on as a substitute in the last five games, with the Reds not conceding once while he has been on the pitch. Whether he is happy to play a bit-part role moving forward remains to be seen. Jota has been struggling for form of late and reports from Anfield Watch last month claimed he is one who could leave as Slot is frustrating with the frequency of the player’s injury issues.
The likes of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz have also been linked with exits while Elliott has been tipped for a summer departure on a few occasions now but he has already expressed his desire to remain with the club. He said via The Athletic back in January: “Liverpool is my club, Liverpool is my team.
“I want to fight for my place, fight for my position in the team. I am going to do what it takes and help the team out when it’s possible. It’s down to me to put in the effort, the hard work, the desire, to achieve that. I am not going to give up. I am going to keep fighting and who knows what might happen.”