Liverpool have confirmed that Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will leave the club when their contracts expire this summer.
Each of the quartet’s members has been a long-standing Reds player under Jurgen Klopp’s leadership, but none has made a substantial contribution to the team’s contentious 2022–23 campaign.
Firmino and Keita have been plagued by injuries in their final season, while Oxlade-Chamberlain has simply slid down the pecking order amid competition for midfield starts.
Milner has also played a little role this season, but Klopp has indicated that he is open to keeping the 37-year-old given his experience and influence in the dressing room.
However, Liverpool have now anounced that all four players will leave when their contracts expire, although Firmino’s departure was already known.
Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain were also unlikely to be given new deals, while Milner appears to have turned down the chance to stay at Anfield amid speculations of a summer move to Brighton & Hove Albion.
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The quartet’s final home game for Liverpool will be against Aston Villa on Saturday, and the Reds announced that “special acknowledgements” will be made to Keita, Milner, Firmino, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, all of whom have helped the Reds win the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.
Liverpool’s season ends on May 28 when they travel to already-relegated Southampton, and there is hope that Firmino will be returned from a muscular injury in time for the Reds’ final two games.
The Brazilian has 11 goals and five assists in 33 appearances during his final season at Anfield, although he has only made 12 Premier League starts due to fitness issues and competition for positions.
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