It has been confirmed that Andy Robertson will leave Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the season, with tributes pouring in for the club’s vice-captain.
Andy Robertson will leave Liverpool at the end of this season (Image: Liverpool FC, Getty Images)
To adapt some good old Oscar Wilde, losing one world-class full-back for free might be seen as a misfortune, but losing both looks like carelessness. Tributes have been pouring in for Andy Robertson since it was officially confirmed that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, and they were well deserved.
But the bottom line is that yet another elite player leaves Liverpool without any financial benefit to the club. First it was Trent Alexander-Arnold (though Liverpool took a €10m early termination fee), now Robertson and, of course, Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool could have received a transfer fee for Robertson from Spurs in January, but decided against it. Since that transfer window closed, Robertson has only started two Premier League games, the win at Sunderland and the home draw with Spurs.
The price is just £5 million and it could be a good move if Robertson helps Liverpool secure a place in next season’s Champions League. However, it is likely that Robertson will feature on the bench for the remaining seven Premier League games.
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His regular position next season will not be as a reserve, no matter where he falls. Robertson is still only 32 years old, but the club will be lucky enough to be able to secure him.
If there’s any evidence that Milos Kerkes is an upgrade over Robertson, it’s that it’s cleverly camouflaged. And it is highly unlikely that the Hungarian player will develop the same leadership qualities as Robertson.
As far as being a unifying, talismanic figure, Virgil van Dijk looks increasingly isolated. No player has been more cohesive than Robertson at Anfield over the past nine seasons.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah were three key members of Liverpool’s Premier League winning team last season (Image: PA)
The procession of team-mates past and present, as well as recent key figures at the club, turned out to pay tribute to Robertson and was extraordinary. And every award was well-deserved. The current vice-captain has been an outstanding servant to Liverpool during a thrilling period in their recent history.
Of course, time waits for no one. But was there really a strong suggestion that Robertson’s position as first-choice left-back should have been under threat after the role he played in last season’s Premier League win?
Last season, he started in 29 Premier League games and started on the bench in four games. He made no substitute appearances in five matches, two of which came after the title had been decided. In terms of form and fitness, he clearly wasn’t heading over the edge.
Milos Kerkes is not a huge upgrade over left-back Andy Robertson (Image: Getty Images)
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