Liverpool’s first pre-season match was overshadowed by the news that a fee for Jordan Henderson had been accepted and Jurgen Klopp explained it was his decision to leave out his captaincy.
The focus should be on preparations for next season, but Klopp appears to be days away from losing two of his most experienced midfielders.
Fabinho is closing in on a £40m move and Henderson is set to join Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq for £12m, plus add-ons.
The captain was left out of the squad to face Karlsruher on Wednesday and, in the absence of an official post-match press conference, any word from Klopp on the matter looked unlikely.
However, the Merseyside press in Germany raised the question and Klopp expertly turned it around, as one would expect. Although he explained that it was his decision to keep his captain out of the team.
“In the end, all of these decisions are made by me,” the boss explained.
“And because I respect the players a lot, it’s usually [with their] consent. That was the case in this case and it’s all good.
Speaking of Henderson and Fabinho’s moves, the coach said: “There’s really nothing to say.
“Until things are really finalized, we don’t have to talk about it. There will probably come a time when we need to talk about it, but not now.
“I don’t know if nothing is decided, which means there is nothing to say at the moment. But it’s even better for you, because you can speculate, which is much more fun! If I say something, it’s done.”
Henderson’s upcoming transfer has divided fan opinion, particularly over the hypocrisy that comes with moving to an area where gay sex is illegal after years of championing and allying the LGBTQ+ community.
He has every right to want to move on as Liverpool’s playing time will be limited and the club are right to qualify for the 33-year-old, but that is undoubtedly a legacy.
All of this sets the club up for a busy few weeks as they not only bid farewell to two midfielders but also consider the transfer window for his successors.
