Liverpool journalist Simon Hughes has made a claim on Reds midfielder James Milner and his future at the Merseyside club.
This comes after Hughes recently made an appearance on The Athletic’s The Red Agenda podcast to talk about the latest news topics related to the Reds.
On the topic of Milner and whether or not he could return to Leeds United this summer, with his former side having secured their promotion to the Premier League for next season, Hughes shared his thoughts on the potential move.
He said: “Well, he signed a new contract at Liverpool not so long ago, so I’d be surprised if that were to happen. It just depends on how long he feels he’s got left in his body. Jurgen Klopp said not so long ago that he feels he could play until his late 30s, early 40s. I’d imagine he’d want to go back to Leeds when they were in a decent position to compete on the field.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it did happen at some point. I’d be surprised if it were to happen this season. Because clearly Klopp is going to want to keep that team together.
“I can’t see him moving on anytime soon, because he’s an important player in the dressing room and obviously still wants to play games; as long as Milner still feels like he’s getting enough games for Liverpool, I’d imagine he’d want to stick around.”
Should Liverpool allow Milner to leave this summer if he wants to?
Yes
No
Milner began his career at Leeds before leaving the Yorkshire club in 2004 for Newcastle United in a deal worth £6.66 million, according to Transfermarkt.
Milner, who is currently valued at £5.85 million by the same website, signed to Liverpool on a free transfer from Manchester City back in 2015. Since then, the 34-year-old has gone on to make a total of 212 appearances for the Reds, in which he has managed to score 26 goals and provide 40 assists along the way (per Transfermarkt).
TIF Thoughts…
With Milner’s boyhood club now back in the Premier League for next season, maybe the Englishman could be persuaded to return to Elland Road at some point in the future.