Keep, loan or sell? The players Liverpool should allow to leave in the 2023 summer transfer window

Fabinho’s struggles this season have, in many ways, exemplified Liverpool’s, in that they have been as inexplicable as they have been dramatic. At his best, the Brazilian is one of the finest, most consistent defensive midfielders in Europe, but the question now is whether the 29-year-old will get back to his best.

For now, Liverpool should back him to. But they need to make the right signings this summer, and build a team whose structure will protect him better. It’d cost a lot to replace him, and if they were to sell him this summer, it would surely not be for a huge fee.

Thiago was in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season 12 months ago, but this campaign has not gone to plan for the Spain international. He started it with an injury and finished it with an injury, and in between there were few of the classy, dominant performances we have come to expect.

With just a year left on his contract, the 32-year-old is unlikely to be offered a new one, but with Liverpool already needing such a huge rebuild of their midfield, it would be unwise to give themselves another player to replace. Rather, they need to make sure they are not quite as reliant on Thiago, and his fitness, as they seem to be right now.

Another player with a year left on his deal, and one who has been a wonderful servant for the Reds over the past seven years. But Matip is no longer first-choice at Anfield, and his fitness issues over the last 12 months suggest the time has come to say goodbye.

He’ll need replacing, mind, and that won’t be easy. At his best, he’s one of the most underrated centre-backs around. His future this summer will depend on what kind of offers arrive, and what kind of player Liverpool could get to take his place.

Many would disagree on this one, but Gomez’s age and ability to play as a right-back as well as centre-back make him a valuable squad player. Sure, the England international has had a poor season, and his contract status means he may be a pretty saleable asset, but what would Liverpool have to pay to find better?

Unlike Matip, who is well into his 30s, Gomez is a player who could still have a role to play in two or three years’ time.

It was an emotional end to the season for Tsimikas, whose tears after the final Anfield game of the campaign suggest a parting of the ways could be imminent. And in fairness, the Greek is one player in the Reds squad who is both good enough to attract interest, and of an age where a decent fee could be commanded if so.

With the likes of Luke Chambers emerging from the academy, there could be scope to move Tsimikas on this summer.

Liverpool sources insist a permanent move for Carvalho is not on the agenda this summer, but it feels likely that he will be playing elsewhere next season. Basically, he plays in a position which doesn’t exist in this Reds team, and at 20 he cannot afford another year like the one he has just had.

But on the flip side, this is a footballer who was viewed as an elite talent when signing from Fulham 12 months ago, and to give up on him so soon would be a big call. 

What do you do when you have a pretty good No.2 goalkeeper? Surely the answer is not ‘sell him off’? 

Kelleher is one of the better back-ups in the Premier League, and though the Irishman would be right to wonder whether regular first-team football may be the best thing for his career, Liverpool also need to think of themselves. Alisson Becker is the best in the world, but he’s missed plenty of games in recent years, and the Reds have to be ready for that possibility.

A player who has been unfortunate in missing out on the transfer he needs for quite some time, this surely is the summer Liverpool say goodbye to Phillips.

His fee, probably, will be lower than it would have been last summer, or even the summer before that, but the 26-year-old needs regular football, and will be a more than acceptable signing for plenty of sides in need of an old-school centre-back.

The other half of Liverpool’s unlikely heroic duo of 2020-21, Williams has endured a tough time since, with loan spells at Swansea and Blackpool not delivering the success he had hoped for.

At 22, he is still young enough to succeed as a centre-back, but he needs regular football to do so. A Championship loan, or maybe one to the right club abroad, is the answer for him this summer.

The 21-year-old Dutchman had an injury-disrupted season on loan at Schalke, one which ended in the disappointment of relegation, but with more than 100 senior games under his belt, he could be an asset who could be moved on this summer for a decent fee.

Van den Berg is unlikely to challenge for a first-team spot at Anfield, though his experience of playing as a full-back could make him a half-decent squad option if Liverpool decide to move on other defenders.

A good season with Aberdeen in Scotland should be enough to earn Clarkson, the diminutive homegrown midfielder, a permanent transfer this summer.

Clarkson has played for Liverpool’s first team, but he knows his long-term future lies away from Anfield. The question, surely, is what clubs are willing to pay for the 21-year-old.

Another midfielder who has enjoyed a fine season on loan, in his case with Blackburn, Morton has shown enough to suggest there is at least a chance he can have a future with Liverpool.

The 20-year-old’s tenacity, composure and ability to play as a No.6 or No.8 makes him an interesting prospect going forward. Could he handle a Premier League loan next season?

The Scot’s first season in England was pretty disappointing, with injuries limiting him to just two first-team appearances. Getting fit must be Ramsay’s first aim, but after that, the 19-year-old must show the kind of promise which convinced Liverpool to bring him to the club in the first place. A big pre-season awaits.

The Northern Ireland international swept the board at Bolton’s Player of the Year awards after a superb loan season with the League One club, and will surely now step up a level next term.

Bradley is very much on Klopp’s radar, and his future may depend on what happens with Ramsay, who also offers a right-back option. 

Another Scot of whom big things are expected, Doak certainly made a positive impression during his first season on Merseyside, and a good pre-season could cement the teenager’s place as a squad option next term.

Doak is unique in terms of his style - an out-and-out winger - and that makes him an ideal option off the bench, or even from the start in domestic cups and Europa League matches. Loan bids may arrive, but how many of them will make sense for Liverpool?