With news emerging that Liverpool FC are set to offload Lucas Leiva, we look at five players who may leave Anfield in the transfer window.
1- Lucas Levia
Lucas is the oldest serving Liverpool FC player in the current squad. However, the emergence of Emre Can and the constant injury to the Brazil international, with him moving closer to his thirties, resulted in manager Brendan Rodgers dropping him from the squad, in the opening two games.
Compounding this problem is the new signing of James Milner, with Liverpool FC now having 4 central midfielders besides Lucas vying for two positions in Brendan Rodgers’ preferred 4-2-3-1 and 4-2-2-2 formation.
However, news recently emerged that Liverpool may keep the player following injury problems to captain Jordan Henderson.
Chances of leaving: 3/5
2 – Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli was signed by Liverpool FC from AC Milan in a 16 million GBP deal in the summer of 2014. The deal was described by the club as a a calculated riska .
However, the risk seems to have backfired badly with Balotelli hardly featuring for Liverpool FC last season and looking like a fish out of water when played. The player scored only one goal in the league and in general, has looked like he does not feel at home, and has also made constant trips back to Italy.
Off late, there have been talks of the player’s possible move back to AC Milan with chief executive of the club, Adriano Galliani, confirming the club are in talks with Liverpool FC to loan the striker back to them.
Chances of leaving: 4/5
3 – Fabio Borini
Fabio Borini was told at the end of last season to find himself a new club following a return to the club after loan spell at Sunderland. However, the player stayed put at Anfield, rejecting a chance to join Sunderland who were keen to sign him.
However, this season, Borini was been told in no uncertain terms, once more, that he is not required at Anfield. The player is expected to sign for Inter Milan in the coming days, with the deal being close to completion.
Chances of leaving: 5/5
4 – Jose Enrique
Liverpool FC played with teenager Joe Gomez at left-back in their opening two games and kept clean sheets. The defender is a right-footed player who is being deployed at left-back.
His competition for the left-back slot is Alberto Moreno, with the young Spaniard not having had the best of seasons last season.
However, all this while, Jose Enrique has not been picked in the squad, having spent a majority of last two seasons on the treatment table. Enrique himself has admitted that the club have alienated him from the rest of the squad, but claimed that he is prepared to fight for a place in the team.
He admitted that the top teams in Spain are the only ones capable of paying his wages, and it is unlikely that those clubs may sign him given that they already have some good players for their left-back slot.
While the club want to sell him, it is unlikely that Enrique will find a club that will agree to pay him his current wages and may very well be looking to run down his contract with Anfield which has only a year to go.
Chances of leaving: 2/5
5 – Mahamadou Sakho
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Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers has started Dejan Lovren in the opening two fixtures of the Premier League at the expense of Sakho, was absent even from the match day squad as Liverpool won both their opening games.
Sakho has been one of the better defenders at Liverpool FC, while Dejan Lovren had a rather poor spell at Anfield last season following a 20m GBP transfer from Southampton.
Sakho has been offered a new deal at Anfield, in order to ensure that he does not consider a move to AS Roma, who have enquired after the player.
While it is unlikely that the club will allow him to leave, Sakho may not take well to the manager picking Lovren over him, yet again.
Chances of leaving: 1/5