Liverpool announced on Wednesday that Guinean midfielder Naby Keita, along with the trio of Roberto Firmino, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, will all be leaving the club following the expiration of their contracts in the summer.
Keita moved to Anfield from German side RB Leipzig in the summer of the 2017-18 season after his transfer clause was triggered, while Firmino, Milner, and Oxlade-Chamberlain all joined from Hoffenheim, Manchester City, and Arsenal, respectively.
We can confirm Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will leave the club upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.
Special acknowledgements will be paid to the quartet at Anfield, with further tributes to follow at the end of the season.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 17, 2023
The 28-year-old helped the Reds win a number of titles, including their first Premier League and first league title in 30 years when they finished with 99 points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s City in the 2019-20 season.
During his time, they also won the Champions League (2018–19); the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup (2019); the English FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Community Shield—all in 2022.
Though Keita’s spell at Liverpool has been riddled with injuries, his talent and ability were visibly undeniable for everyone to see whenever he stepped on the pitch.
In his five years at the Merseyside outfit, the Guinea captain made 129 appearances in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists.
Firmino, on the other hand, is one of the longest-serving players in Liverpool at the moment and has been a bright spark since he joined the club in 2015.
The 31-year-old has enjoyed success both individually and collectively, forming one of football’s deadly frontlines with the African duo of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. The Brazilian has found the back of the net 109 times along with 79 assists in 360 appearances in eight seasons with the Reds.
Like Firmino, Milner joined Liverpool in 2015. The Englishman has had quite a time on Merseyside, playing across several positions with his availability never in question.
Chamberlain, however, has not been as present as his older compatriot, with several injuries deterring his Liverpool career. The former Arsenal forward scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists in 146 games for the Reds.
According to a statement from Liverpool, the quartet will be honoured on Saturday when they take on Aston Villa at Anfield for their last home game of the season.
Despite starting the season terribly, Jurgen Klopp’s men are currently a point off the top-four and still stand a chance of ending the 2022-23 campaign on a bright note with a Champions League ticket.
