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AC Milan are eyeing a move for Liverpool midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita, as per Calciomercato via Echo (h/t @AnfieldWatch).
The midfield duo are in the final year of their respective contracts at Anfield. Their injury problems since joining the Reds are well documented and the situation hasn’t changed this campaign either.
Keita’s only appearance this season for Liverpool was a five-minute cameo off the bench against Manchester City in the 3-1 Community Shield win. Oxlade-Chamberlain, on the other hand, has played just 120 minutes of football spread across four games in all competitions this season.
Their unavailability due to fitness issues has compounded manager Jurgen Klopp’s problems in midfield. If they fulfilled their potential and were free from injury troubles, Keita (27) and Oxlade-Chamberlain (29) would have been brilliant options in central midfield for Klopp.
That hasn’t been the case, which is why it would be a surprise if the Reds offered a contract renewal to either player. Seeing the duo leave on free transfers would, however, be a jolt to the Anfield outfit’s pockets.
Liverpool spent a combined £85 million in transfer fees to sign the duo. For AC Milan, this could be an opportunity to bolster their team with two exciting players who are notable for their dribbling skills and runs from midfield.
This will also be potentially low-risk signings if they get them on free transfers. I Rossoneri signed Divock Origi on a free transfer from Liverpool this summer. It remains to be seen if they will return to Merseyside for their next signings in midfield come the end of the campaign.
Andy Robertson puts Liverpool’s Oxlade-Chamberlain in five-a-side team
Andrew Robertson recently left out the likes of Luis Diaz, Philippe Coutinho, and Sadio Mane to put Oxlade-Chamberlain in his five-a-side team.
The Reds left-back was asked to name a team with five players consisting of his Liverpool teammates – past or present. He told Pitchside (h/t This is Anfield):
“I’d go Alisson Becker. I’m the captain, so I’m at the back, Virgil [van Dijk] can sit on the bench. I’m going to go 1-2-1, so midfield I would go Thiago and I would go…Ox – [for his] shooting of a ball, great shot.”
“So I would go Ox and up top, I’d go Mo [Salah]. The only problem I’m worried about is the work rate – the three lads in front of me! Three attackers, so I’ve given myself a lot of work.”
