Liverpool has confirmed the exit of James Milner and Roberto Firmino at the end of the season along with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Firmino and Milner, who joined the Reds in June 2015, will leave the club after eight years, while Oxlade-Chamberlain signed on before Keita came in 2018. During their tenure at Anfield, all four contributed to Jurgen Klopp’s team winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup. The four players will get “special acknowledgments” at Liverpool’s last home game of the year on Saturday against Aston Villa.
Since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2015 on a free transfer from Manchester City, Milner, 37, has played 330 times and scored 26 goals. Although he has only started four times since the World Cup, he has participated in 41 of Liverpool’s 50 games this season. His 16-minute cameo at Leicester City on Monday marked his longest game time in two months. Roberto De Zerbi’s tactical brilliance has Pep Guardiola and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp praising Brighton’s game, and it has left James Milner speechless.
After turning down the chance to sign a new contract, Firmino, who has played 214 times and scored 57 goals for Liverpool, was already planning to depart. Keita joined the club for £52.75 million in 2018 and has played 129 times, scoring 11 goals. However, owing to injuries, he has only started five games this year. Since being replaced at halftime of the goalless draw at Crystal Palace on February 25, the 28-year-old has not played. The last time Oxlade-Chamberlain played was against Manchester City in April. Since joining from Arsenal for £35 million in August 2017, the midfielder has made 146 appearances and scored 18 goals, but he has also suffered with injuries.
After being cut from the Chelsea academy last year, center defender Xavier Mbuyamba is being pursued by Watford. Due to his comparable playing style and enormous potential, the 21-year-old has been frequently compared to Virgil van Dijk by coaches and the media in Holland. This season, he has excelled for FC Volendam in the Eredivisie. Mbuyamba, who has played for his county at the U19 level and is set to play shortly for the U21s, is also being pursued by Ajax and AZ Alkmaar.
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