Klopp, key Liverpool assistant among figures irked by talented summer exit – report
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and assistant Pepijn Lijnders are among those at Anfield who would prefer Ben Woodburn to stay, according to a report.
The 21-year-old has been around the Anfield side for some time, taking a step up to the first-team scene in 2016. However, he has only made 11 senior outings in that time. Instead, he has enjoyed a series of loan spells at Sheffield United, Oxford United and most recently Blackpool in League One.
His first-team chances continue to look slim amid the plethora of midfielders Liverpool have in their ranks.
As such, reports on Wednesday claimed that Woodburn is closing in on a move to Hearts. The Englishman will move to Scotland on another loan, initially until January.
According to a fresh report from The Athletic, though, some at Liverpool felt ‘reluctant’ to let him leave unless he found the right opportunity.
That is because he has impressed Klopp and Liverpool’s coaching staff in pre-season.
Indeed, assistant manager Lijnders is a ‘big fan’ of Woodburn. He is also one of the strongest advocates for the player staying at Anfield.
In fact, sources told The Athletic that Woodburn has, on his own, lifted the intensity of training sessions in pre-season.
Hearts are likely to win the race for him, despite the news outlet reporting significant interest from elsewhere.
Clubs in Greece, Denmark, Croatia and the Championship had eyes on Woodburn for a potential move.
The attacking midfielder only has one year left on his Liverpool contract. As a result, his future at Anfield beyond his next loan move remains unclear.
The earlier reports claimed that his latest temporary switch could extend into the second half of the new season if he does well.
Liverpool finding Salah contract tricky
Meanwhile, one player whose future is an immediate priority at Anfield is Mohamed Salah.
The winger has racked up 126 goals in 204 games for the Reds. However, he has entered the penultimate year of his contract.
Liverpool want to tie him to a new deal, which would see him follow in the recent footsteps of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk.
However, the latest reports claim that Liverpool are encountering problems over the Egyptian’s future.
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