Having signed a short-term contract extension that runs out at the end of the season, Adam Lallana is set to leave Liverpool on a free, bringing an end his six-year stay at the Merseyside.
Cult Hero
It’s been seven years since Lallana burst on to the scenes for Southampton in the Premier League.
The former England international started his career with the Saints and would eventually wear the club’s captain armband.
In his last year at St. Mary’s Stadium, Lallana lead Southampton to an impressive 8th-place finish. He featured in all Southampton’s Premier League fixtures, scoring nine goals and six assists.
Controversial Exit
In the summer of 2014, Lallana signed for Liverpool for £25 million. A move received acrimoniously by the Saints supporters.
Rumours grew that the Englishman had controversially forced the move by handing in a transfer request.
Lallana, however, trashed the rumours but admitted he regretted the manner of his departure from his boyhood club describing it as nasty.
Rise and Fall at Anfield
In Lallana’s first season, he scored five premier league goals while assisting three more for Brendan Rogers. Despite few injury woes, the Englishman showed glimpses of his quality.
The appointment of Jurgen Klopp in 2015 brought a whole new dimension to Lallana’s game. The midfielder registered four goals and six assists in the Premier League
In his third year at Anfield, Lallana peaked. He registered eight goals and six assists in 31 league games as the Reds finished fourth in the Premier League.
However, Liverpool’s surge since then has seen the Lallana drop in the pecking order at the club.
The 32-year-old has played just 1,220 minutes of Premier League action in four years after a torn hamstring ruled him out of the 2017/18 season.
He has been deemed surplus to requirement by Jurgen Klopp who is now set to release the Englishman according to The Guardian.
Where Next?
Lallana would be on the market come the end of the season after his short-term contract expires.
Mike McGraths of The Telegraph reports that Everton, Brighton, Leicester and Burnley are keen on signing the 32-year-old.
The high interest in the player is no surprise.
Besides, getting Lallana on a free transfer is surely good business, as he offers both experience and quality.
