Jurgen Klopp’s surprise stance on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as Liverpool set to raise £17m

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has a surprise stance on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as he would reportedly prefer to lose the star for free when his contract expires next summer rather than cash in on him now. But the Reds boss could raise £17million this summer by allowing Takumi Minamino to join Monaco.

Klopp persuaded club chiefs to shell out £35m for Oxlade-Chamberlain five years ago as the midfielder moved to Anfield from Arsenal. He was a first-team regular during his maiden campaign on Merseyside but was dealt a huge blow when he suffered a serious knee injury in the Reds’ Champions League semi-final first leg clash against Roma in 2018.

The ace tore his anterior cruciate ligament, ruptured his lateral collateral ligament, damaged his medial ligament and tore his lateral hamstring tendon clean off the bone. And he was forced to endure nearly a year on the sidelines.

Over the last couple of seasons, the 28-year-old has become a bit-part player at Anfield and had been tipped to exit the club this summer. But, according to The Sunday Mirror, Klopp was impressed by the player’s influence and attitude when Naby Kieta went to the African Cup of Nations earlier this year and when Covid cases disrupted the Reds squad. And the 55-year-old now wants the ace to stick around.

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The 27-year-old has struggled to command a regular first-team place at Liverpool but did enjoy a promising spell on loan at Southampton during the latter stages of the 2020/21 campaign.

Lyon and Atalanta are thought to be interested in landing the Japan international. But Liverpool chiefs now believe that Monaco is his preferred destination after his advisor travelled to Europe to broker a move away from Merseyside.

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