Liverpool boss was desperate to keep James Milner at Anfield and even offered the veteran a coaching role with the club.
The Reds have confirmed that four of their biggest names will leave in the summer, with their contracts not renewed, with Milner among them. Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita will also leave Merseyside this summer.
Jurgen Klopp had revealed that he was desperate for Milner to stay and explained that he had held talks with the midfielder who has played 330 games for the club and is now widely regarded as Liverpool's best-ever free transfer signing.
There were even suggestions of a coaching role. But talks never resulted in a concrete offer of a new deal, with the England international, indicating that he wanted a fresh challenge of playing more regular football as his career draws to a close, following eight years immensely successful years at Anfield.
Both Brighton and his home town club Leeds are interested in signing the 37-year-old for next season, and he will leave with Klopp’s blessing - and glowing tributes - as he reaches the position of 55 in the club’s all-time list of appearances.
Firmino had already announced that he would depart at the end of the season, as he joins an overseas club as a free agent with Barcelona expressing an interest… and goes with the massive appreciation of the Reds' support for his eight glorious Anfield years.
But he will be joined by Milner, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain in leaving, with all playing an important part in the Klopp revolution at Anfield. Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain were both expected to depart, with injuries derailing their final seasons at the club, and making it academic that a new contract wouldn’t be offered.
Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived from Arsenal back in 2017 and played a key role in the title-winning season of 2019-20, but injuries restricted his appearances to just 146 games for the club, featuring just 13 times this season.
Keita is perhaps the biggest disappointment for fans who believed he was destined for the top after signing for a fee of £53m from Red Bull Leipzig in 2018, but despite winning every honour in his time with the club, injury also stunted his Liverpool career.
The midfielder also appeared just 13 times this season after suffering a succession of setbacks, and the club have decided to cut their losses by releasing him on a free transfer.
