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Premier League champions Liverpool have endured a torrid season so far and are unlikely to secure UEFA Champions League football for the 2021-22 season. The Reds have been ravaged by injuries since the opening weeks of the season, with Virgil van Dijk's ACL injury starting an unfortunate period in October that saw several other players pick up long-term injuries.
Jurgen Klopp has a massive job on his hands to help Liverpool compete on all fronts next season, as he prepares for an important transfer window. The Reds are expected to make a few crucial additions to their squad ahead of the new season, while a handful of players are set to be sold to raise money for potential incomings.
Many players in the current squad are seemingly out of favor and are likely to leave for greener pastures. Klopp knows Liverpool don't need an overhaul, but there could be a lot of chopping and changing at Anfield at the end of the season to make Liverpool a force to be reckoned with again.
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On that note, here are five players who need to leave Liverpool to get their careers back on track.
#5 Marko Grujic
Serbian midfielder Marko Grujic was Liverpool's first signing of the Jurgen Klopp era, as he joined the club for a fee believed to be in the region of £5 million at the start of the 2016-17 season. However, he has barely featured for the club since and has been sent out on loan to multiple clubs across Europe.
He is currently on loan at FC Porto in Liga NOS and is set to be sold by the club at the end of the current campaign. Grujic knows he needs to secure a permanent transfer to get his faltering career back on track, with Porto and a handful of Bundesliga clubs looking to snap him up.
The towering midfielder is a decent player, but the fact of the matter is that he is unlikely to break into a Liverpool side that currently boasts several midfielders.
#4 Takumi Minamino
Takumi Minamino is another player who has barely featured for Liverpool since completing a move to the club. The Japanese attacker was the Reds' only signing in January 2020, as he left Red Bull Salzburg after an impressive spell in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Before moving to Liverpool, Minamino faced the Reds in the UEFA Champions League group stages and was arguably the best player on the pitch, as he got his name on the scoresheet against his future employers.
However, with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota ahead of him the pecking order, he was sent on loan to Southampton earlier this year to get regular game time under his belt. Minamino has enjoyed a decent spell at the St. Mary's Stadium, but he is unlikely to break into the Liverpool team if he were to return to the club this summer.
#3 Divock Origi
Divock Origi will always be remembered as a cult hero for his crucial goals in Liverpool's historic 2018-19 season. The Belgian scored three goals in the business end of the UEFA Champions League campaign — including two against Barcelona in the semis and one in the final against Tottenham Hotspur — to spearhead the Reds to their sixth European Cup.
However, since then, he has not managed to kick on and has delivered a string of frustrating performances over the past two seasons. At the age of 26, it might be time for Origi to move on and become a regular player in the first team elsewhere, with Liverpool reportedly looking to cash in on him this summer.
Origi will be adored at Anfield for his crucial goals over the years, but he needs to move on this summer for the sake of his career.
#2 Xherdan Shaqiri
Due to a combination of poor form and injuries, Xherdan Shaqiri has not featured regularly since the 2018-19 season. The Swiss international is a fantastic player on his day and was signed as a squad option, but his availability has been a massive issue over the past two seasons.
In the current campaign, Shaqiri has found games hard to come by and is reportedly looking to move on this summer. Liverpool have a lot of talented attackers at the club, so his decision to leave the club could prove to be a smart one.
With Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota all expected to stay and Liverpool looking to add another quality attacker to their ranks, Shaqiri's stint with the Merseyside club is set to come to an unceremonious climax in the coming months.
#1 Naby Keita
Naby Keita's talent is unquestionable, but Liverpool's might put their hands up and finally concede defeat this summer due to his fitness troubles. The Guinean midfielder — who is the third most expensive purchase in Liverpool's history — has not managed to stay injury-free in his troubled three-year spell at Anfield so far and is running out of time to prove his worth.
Keita's dynamic ability in the center of the park appealed to Jurgen Klopp so much that he waited a year to sign him from RB Leipzig, as he also inherited Steven Gerrard's iconic #8 kit at the club. However, he has only shown flashes of brilliance since and has not nailed down a regular starting spot.
With Gini Wijnaldum set to leave this summer, Keita might get another chance to prove his worth next season. That said, it wouldn't come as a surprise if Klopp finally gives up on him and offloads him at the end of the season.
