Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Daniel Sturridge’s future at Liverpool will be reviewed at the end of the season, with the striker likely to be a high-profile departure from Anfield.
Sturridge missed Liverpool’s lamentable 3-1 defeat at Leicester City on Monday through illness and was exempt from Klopp’s criticism of the team’s sixth loss in 12 matches in all competitions this year. “We all play for our future, myself included,” the Liverpool manager said at the King Power Stadium.
Sturridge’s long-term prospects appear bleak, having become an increasingly peripheral figure at Anfield. He has started just five Premier League matches this season — and nine games in total — with Klopp favouring a front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho.
The England international, 27, has just over two years remaining on the heavily incentivised five-year contract he signed in October 2014 and Klopp, while a firm admirer of the player’s talent, admits the future of Sturridge will be up for discussion once the campaign ends.
“I have no idea what happens in the summer,” Klopp said.
“It is not only Daniel but a lot of players. Daniel was not in training for eight or nine days because of a virus infection.
“We have to bring him back to the best shape possible and then bring this season to an end as successfully as possible. Then we will make decisions and speak about Daniel and any other players about what will happen at the end of the season. A lot of things will influence this and we can speak about it when it is time.”
Among others who could leave Liverpool this summer are Lucas Leiva, who is out of contract, Alberto Moreno and Emre Can, who has yet to commit to a new contract and has 16 months remaining on his deal.
Sturridge is expected to be available for Arsenal’s visit to Anfield on Saturday, when Dejan Lovren should also return having missed Liverpool’s past three matches with a knee problem. Jordan Henderson’s prospects of featuring in a game with major implications for Champions League qualification, however, are remote after Klopp admitted the midfielder was unlikely to have recovered from a foot injury.
“It looks like he will not be ready for Arsenal,” he said. “We will see.”
Liverpool, meanwhile, made a 19.8-million-pound (Dh89.9 million) loss in the financial year ending May 31, 2016 despite overall revenue increasing to a record 301 million pound, the club’s latest accounts reveal.
Despite failing to qualify for the Champions League — and Liverpool were the only club in the top ten of Deloitte’s financial league not to do so — both media and match-day revenue increased at Anfield, largely as a result of Klopp’s team reaching both the Europa League and Capital One Cup finals.
Media revenue rose by 1 million pounds to 123.6 million pounds, match-day income by 3.4 million pounds to 62.4 million pounds and commercial revenue was down by 700,000 pounds to 115.7 million pounds. The decrease was attributed to the construction of the new main stand at Anfield restricting access to the stadium on non-match days, although ten commercial partnerships were signed during the period.
Overall revenue rose by 3.9 million pounds to a record 301.8 million pounds, the accounts reveal, but new signings such as 29-million-pound Robert Firmino and 12.5-million-pound Nathaniel Clyne contributed to a loss before tax of 19.8 million pounds.
The accounts also include the professional contracts awarded to 12 youth academy players. Liverpool launched new websites in Arabic, French and Spanish and its social media following climbed above 50 million.
Andy Hughes, Liverpool’s chief operating officer, said: “These results demonstrate the solid financial progress that’s been made over the past six years under the leadership of FSG [Fenway Sports Group] with continued investment in the playing squad and the completion of the main stand.
“The increase in the underlying revenue adds further strength to the club’s financial position despite the cost of football rising with player transfer fees, wages and agents’ costs. During this reporting period, we also agreed a new five-year credit facility which further secures the club’s long term financial stability. All three main revenues streams continue to show strength and commercial revenues held firm irrespective of the impact of the main stand at Anfield.”
Liverpool’s finances for the current year will be improved by revenue from the new main stand, that opened in September, and the record broadcasting deal that has come into effect.
Hughes added: “The investments from this ownership have been a key factor to our financial and global progress. We have seen continued investment in the playing squad; the expanded main stand; the new flagship retail store opening later this year; fully refurbished retail stores in Liverpool and Belfast; and we are consulting on a proposed development at our Academy in Kirkby to bring together the first team and our young players. “These investments all contribute to further progress and strengthen the club’s financial position which ultimately serves to support all of our football ambitions.”
