Jurgen Klopp appears dead set on overhauling Liverpool 's midfield in the summer transfer window, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Arthur Melo all set to leave.
Midfield has been the Reds' biggest problem amid what has been a disappointing campaign for Klopp's side. They failed to win the Carabao Cup, have already exited the FA Cup and were dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid on Wednesday.
The Reds are increasingly likely to undergo a rebuild this summer, with their place in next season's Champions League not secure. Jude Bellingham is their top target for the window, though it appears wider change is on the horizon.
According to The Athletic, that will start with the departures of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita on a free transfers at the end of their contracts. Oxlade-Chamberlain had played just five minutes of football since mid-January before Wednesday's defeat to Madrid.
The Englishman has spent six years at Anfield, but has struggled to nail down a regular starting place in recent years. He has made just 12 appearances this season, including his cameo off the bench at the Bernabeu.
There is little surprise then that the 29-year-old will be moving on when his contract expires at the end of the campaign. Keita has failed to live up to his price tag since arriving from RB Leipzig in 2018.
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He spent the first half of the campaign sidelined with a hamstring injury, with his first Premier League appearance not coming until Boxing Day. He has been left out of the last three squads in the top-flight, with his time at Anfield appearing to be at an end.
Arthur's move to Anfield meanwhile, has been nothing short of a disaster, with the Juventus star barely playing. That loan deal will not be turned into a permanent move, with Liverpool putting their full focus into signing Bellingham.
James Milner could join the departures, with the ball in the Englishman's court over whether he wants to stay for a further year. Reds legend Michael Owen believes Liverpool's plans to buy Bellingham could be scuppered by their performance this season.
"That’s the worry. That’s the worry at the moment, is that you’re hanging your hat on maybe one or two additions to freshen it all up, let’s say, but the worry is that if Liverpool don’t get in the Champions League then it’s not going to be as an exciting proposition," he told BT Sport.
"If they don’t get in the Champions League they probably won’t have the money to go and do it, we all know Liverpool isn’t awash with money so I know there’s a kitty there to probably go for a Bellingham for £100 million, maybe a little bit more.
"But if they don’t get in the Champions League it’s going to put a little bit more pressure on the purse strings. I don’t believe that it’s right to go and buy a load of players. I would try to burst the bank for Bellingham and I fear that will be about it."
