Paul Waine wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:53 am
Times, Tuesday.
Note the bit about wages - underlined.
Jürgen Klopp wants Adam Lallana to extend deal at Liverpool for league finale
Adam Lallana is in talks to extend his Liverpool career to ensure he is part of the club’s anticipated title success.
The England midfielder’s present contract is due to expire on June 30, but Jürgen Klopp has made it clear he wants a player who has been integral during the manager’s time at Anfield to see through the club’s bid for a first championship since 1990.
Lallana, who moved to Merseyside from Southampton for £25 million in the summer of 2014, knows he will leave Liverpool on a free transfer when the season is finally completed, but also wants to remain until the final scheduled game against Newcastle United at the end of July. Klopp’s side are two wins from being crowned champions, and it remains to be seen how much Lallana will feature over the remaining nine matches.
The 32-year-old, who is believed to have attracted the interest of Leicester City, will make himself available for every game and remains a key figure in the dressing room.
Yet a feature of the candid conversations with Klopp and owners Fenway Sports Group over the past week has been coming to an understanding that those players who represent Liverpool’s long-term future will be prioritised.
The turnaround between this and the start of 2020-21 campaign will be so short that the coming weeks will also effectively act as a pre-season and the likes of Takumi Minamino, plus teenagers Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, could be selected ahead of the experienced Lallana.
Should the extension be agreed, it is unlikely to be on the same terms as Lallana’s existing £100,000-a-week deal.
A short-term contract would give Lallana the chance to leave Liverpool as a champion, having already lifted the Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup this season to go with last year’s Champions League success.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel Clyne has been adhering to his own fitness programme at Liverpool’s academy prior to his release at the end of this month. The right back, available on a free transfer, has spent the past ten months recovering from an ACL injury sustained in pre-season.