Liverpool announced their retained list on Thursday, which brought confirmation that the likes of Loris Karius and Divock Origi will depart the club this summer. But they will not be the only ones.
On top of those players whose contracts have expired, first-team stars such as Takumi Minamino, Sadio Mane and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could end up leaving via the transfer market.
With Darwin Nunez in line for a switch to Anfield from Benfica, and with Fabio Carvalho having already signed from Fulham, the Reds' squad looks set to change this summer. But, despite the relative upheaval, it seems Naby Keita's contract will be extended, if reports prove true.
READ MORE: Fulham 'preparing' £32m double swoop on Liverpool
READ MORE: Liverpool consider Nat Phillips transfer rethink as Joel Matip 'plan' emerges
The Guinean international's deal is due to expire in 12 months but Liverpool seem keen to keep him. Having just experienced arguably his best campaign on English shores, retaining the services of Keita appears to make plenty of sense. Still just 27, the midfielder has years ahead of him to continue improving.
And Jurgen Klopp will hope Keita follows in the footsteps of one of his former stars at Borussia Dortmund, by evolving with maturity.
After starting just nine Premier League matches for Liverpool in 2019/20, and seven the following season, Keita started 14 in the 2021-22 campaign and also accumulated a further 11 starts in cup competitions.
Klopp will hope that most of the midfielder's setbacks are behind him and that he will able to benefit from a comparable trajectory to Ilkay Gundogan, who has grown in stature at the Etihad.
Now aged 31, the Manchester City man worked under Klopp during his time in the Bundesliga. The German offered a lot to the team when he was on the pitch, but that didn't happen often enough.
Between January 2016 and December 2018, Gundogan missed numerous matches as a result of eight different injury issues, including a rupture to his cruciate ligament. And in his debut season at City, he started just nine Premier League games and the season after, he started 15.
His contributions were strong and he suited Pep Guardiola's controlling approach, but his availability held him back from making a proper impact on the team. Since January 2019, though, Gundogan has been on the pitch far more often.
Across the last four Premier League campaigns, he's averaged around 22 starts per season, starting at least 20 matches each term. His team-mates have began to rely on his services.
Gundogan was a primary reason behind why City continued to score goals without deploying a striker in their team. His late runs from deeper areas helped the efficiency of Guardiola's strikerless system.
In Keita, Klopp has a talent who is equally suited to what he wants. He's proactive, aggressive, attack-minded and a natural when it comes to pressing and regaining the ball.
He has a well-rounded skill set and - as Gundogan did for Guardiola - Keita could begin to play more of a part at Anfield as he approaches the latter stages of his career. He was initially signed as the player to transform Klopp's midfield department - and he could still end up being that man.
