He arrived for nothing and will depart for nothing. In between, though, James Milner has made an almost invaluable contribution to Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.

The news this week Milner will pass up the opportunity to again extend his Anfield career and instead head for pastures new – Brighton and Hove Albion would appear his next destination – will further cut the ties to the Reds’ all-conquering team of three years ago.

That Klopp has always maintained there will be a place for Milner as long as he remains in charge underlines the esteem with which the Liverpool boss holds the midfielder. Similar to Roberto Firmino – another to leave at the end of the season – Milner was a gift inherited by Klopp from his predecessor Brendan Rodgers and the Reds’ recruitment team, having been signed on a free transfer from Manchester City a few months before the German took control in October 2015.

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Consider this. Milner’s brief outing from the bench at home to Fulham in the Premier League in midweek was his 328th appearance for the club and moved him only one behind the long-serving Terry McDermott. A few weeks ago, Milner surpassed the tally of the legendary Kevin Keegan.

Longevity is one thing, though. And while much is rightly made of Milner’s influence in the dressing room – new signings and Academy graduates will regularly namecheck him as a significant help – that would count for little if the player didn’t set the example on the field, regularly shining with his versatility, composure and experience. Milner was appointed vice-captain by Rodgers to Jordan Henderson on his arrival, and it is particularly telling Klopp has seen no reason to change either role.

Having started the League Cup and Europa League final defeats in his debut season, Milner then switched to left-back the following campaign and helped Liverpool into the top four. Back in midfield the next year, he contributed a Champions League record number of assists and started the final defeat to Real Madrid.

When the Reds went one better in 2019, Milner rattled Lionel Messi to such an extent he was labelled a “donkey” by the Barcelona man during the first leg of the semi-final and, in the return, was forced to switch from midfield to left-back at half-time. But in characteristic style, it was Milner taking the ball to the corner flag to see out time as the final whistle blew on Anfield’s most memorable night. On the bench for the final, he then came on and swung in the corner from which Divock Origi sealed a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Milner’s fingerprints have been all over Liverpool’s successes under Klopp, his penalties home and away to Leicester City pivotal in the championship-winning campaign of 2020, while his spot kicks sent the Reds on their way to shoot-out success against Chelsea in the League and FA Cups last season.

“What happened over the past seven-and-a-half years, all the positive things, none of it would happen without James Milner,” said Klopp on Friday.

At 37, though, time is catching up with Milner. Nothing lasts forever. While appearing in all bar one of Liverpool’s last 19 games, only three have been as a starter and none of his 10 most recent Premier League outings have lasted half-an-hour. Milner has made only six league starts this season. The mind may be willing but the body is perhaps now only capable of keeping pace in short bursts.

With Stefan Bajcetic breaking through this term and both Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott stepping up their progress, Milner perhaps accepts the time is right – even with fellow midfielders Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also leaving this summer – to hand over to the next generation.

And he would know, having made his debut for Leeds United aged just 16 way back in 2002. Indeed, it was no coincidence Milner was the sole first-team player in attendance to watch an under-23 side win their FA Cup fourth round replay against Shrewsbury Town at Anfield in February 2020, the youngsters – including Elliott and Jones – given pre-match words of advice in the dressing room by their senior colleague before being cheered on from the dugout.

In an age of eye-watering transfer fees, flashy highlights reels and short attention spans, the no-nonsense approach of Milner was never going to appeal to everyone, even if the Anfield crowd have always appreciated the strength of his commitment and tackling. No reputation has been too grand. Just ask Neymar.

Liverpool’s greatest-ever free transfer? Most probably. And Milner serves as a reminder that while the right player doesn’t have to cost a fortune., experience can be priceless. The Klopp era is losing one of its foundations.

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Klopp: Liverpool will not get drawn into transfer battles for overpriced players

Klopp has often spoken of the need for a rebuild at Anfield, but the club’s American owner John Henry in March said Liverpool will not fall into the trap of spending beyond their means in the pursuit of success. — AFP pic

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Saturday, 06 May 2023 11:47 AM MYT

LIVERPOOL, May 6 ― Liverpool will look to bring in new recruits in the close season transfer window but the Premier League club will not be drawn into bidding wars on players they feel are overpriced, manager Juergen Klopp said.

Klopp has often spoken of the need for a rebuild at Anfield, but the club’s American owner John Henry in March said Liverpool will not fall into the trap of spending beyond their means in the pursuit of success.

British media last month reported that Liverpool ended their pursuit of England international Jude Bellingham, who had been the club’s top transfer target ahead of an overhaul next season following a disappointing campaign.

The Athletic reported Borussia Dortmund were demanding £130 million (RM730 million) in transfer fees for the 19-year-old midfielder, who is now being linked with a move to Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid.

Asked what Liverpool’s approach would be if clubs demand inflated transfer fees for targets, Klopp told reporters: “We cannot buy the player then”.

“We will bring in players. I am pretty sure we will bring in the players we want and those who will help us. I am pretty confident of that,” the German manager added.

“Let me say it like this: You identify a position and you have not only one option on the position. That means they should all be good.

“You might have a favourite but if the other club doesn’t want to sell or someone else will pay the price then we cannot go with it, but usually we got the players we wanted.”

Liverpool, who are fifth in the Premier League standings, host Brentford later today. ― Reuters

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Brighton set prices for midfield pair Caicedo and Mac Allister

Brighton have set their prices for midfield pair Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.

Caicedo remains on the radar of Arsenal, while Mac Allister is a target for Liverpool and Manchester United.

Sky Sports says Brighton want £70m each for the two players.

And the midfield duo are expected to be sold this summer, with both having expressed their plans to depart.

Brigton chief Paul Barber said this week: “Well, there’s always going to be rumours when we do well and our people do well. There’s always going to be bigger clubs playing at a higher level looking to take our best people – but all we can do is perform at our highest potential, hopefully get to the highest position we ever have done in the Premier League and we’re confident we can keep our best people here for as long as possible.

“But you can never say anything is guaranteed in football and we’re certainly going to work hard to keep the best people here. First of all, we know it’s going to happen so we have to prepare for it as best as we can in advance. We try and bring more young players into the club, we try and look for where we’re potentially most vulnerable in terms of outgoings, and then we try to create the best possible environment we can for our own players so they want to stay here.

“I think every club these days is a selling club to some extent, even the biggest clubs sometimes get tempted by unbelievable offers for their players. Our challenge is to make sure that when we do lose players we’ve got player either already in the door, which is our ideal position, or coming back very quickly after them.

“That’s what we’ll keep trying to do, we’ll keep recruiting as we have done and hopefully building value for the club for the future.”