Time for goodbye? – Liverpool must surely offload £65,000-a-week star this January

It’s high time that Jurgen Klopp offloads Adam Lallana in January

Despite making a strong start under Jurgen Klopp at first, Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana’s career has since taken a downward spiral at the club. The Reds have started their season in impressive form, picking up 4 wins from 4 games in the opening weeks.

The international break has now begun and Adam Lallana has once again withdrawn from Gareth Southgate’s squad after suffering a groin injury in training. The England midfielder was fit throughout the pre-season and was on the bench for Liverpool’s opening 4 games of the season, making a late substitute appearance against Crystal Palace.

But over the last two years, Lallana has failed to replicate the form he once showed under Klopp. The former Southampton captain was one of the most hard-working and tenacious players on the field in Klopp’s system. There was a time when the £65,000-a-week star was the first name on Klopp’s teamsheet.

High pressing, high work-rate, and exceptional technicality, Lallana had it all in his locker. But a series of hamstring and calf injuries extended his time on the sidelines and Lallana now looks a shadow his old self.

The former Southampton midfielder was restricted to just 12 appearances in the Premier League last season, most of which came off the bench. Lallana was also brought on as a substitute in the Champions League final after Mohamed Salah succumbed to injury. The 30-year-old was utterly poor in his display.

Over the summer, Jurgen Klopp brought in the likes of Naby Keita, Fabinha and Xherdan Shaqiri to bolster his ranks. With Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum all impressing in the opening weeks of the Premier League, it’s hard to see Lallana make his way back into the squad.

Lallana’s injury will definitely be a major blow for Jurgen Klopp given that Liverpool face a testing run of fixtures when the Premier League returns with clashes against Chelsea and Manchester City in the league, and Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League.

Read more: Klopp’s decision to stick to his £67m star for the Champions League is surely a step in the right direction

With Oxlade-Chamberlain already out for a considerable period of time, the loss of Lallana will slightly deplete Klopp’s depth. But come January, it would be the right time for Klopp to let the former Southampton midfielder move on in search of first-team football elsewhere. The Reds now possess a plethora of young talent and it’s clear that Lallana’s time is up.