Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is reportedly pushing the hierarchy at Anfield to offer James Milner a new deal to keep him at the Merseyside club.
As things stand, the Englishman is set to see his current deal expire at the end of the season, putting him in the same boat as Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
With the future of these three players in doubt, some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding the possibility of seeing one of them put pen to paper on a new deal at Anfield.
According to a recent report from Football Insider, Klopp is a big admirer of Milner and is pushing FSG and the board to offer him another one-year extension to his current deal.
The report also adds that the Reds boss believes “Milner’s leadership and off-pitch presence is crucial to Liverpool’s dressing room atmosphere and believes he would be a huge loss for the club should he leave this summer.”
Since arriving at the Merseyside club from Manchester City on a free transfer back in 2015, the 37-year-old has made 321 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 26 goals and providing 46 assists along the way.
With 32 appearances to his name in all competitions this season across a variety of different positions, donning the captain’s armband on numerous occasions, this highlights how much of a useful player he is for Klopp and makes it easy to see why the German wants to keep him around.
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In fact, after the veteran made his 600th Premier League appearance back in November, the Liverpool boss hailed Milner as an “exceptional” player and person.
In terms of what the Englishman offers the team, only Curtis Jones (4.62) has a higher rate of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (4.02) than the versatile midfielder this season in the Premier League.
Moving forward, taking into account what the player offers the team on and off the pitch, the board should do what Klopp wants and offer Milner a new deal.