Adam Lallana set to sign contract extension to finish season at Liverpool
Midfielder is willing to accept a reduced wage package to complete his final campaign with the champions-elect
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Liverpool want Adam Lallana to extend his contract until the end of the season and continue his leadership role within the squad as more records are targeted, with talks at an advanced stage.
Manager Jurgen Klopp, sporting director Michael Edwards, and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon have informed the midfielder of their desire to see him remain at Anfield as the club look to cap off a watershed campaign.
The Merseysiders, 25 points clear at the Premier League summit, are on the verge of ending a 30-year wait for the title.
The trio underlined their belief that the process of doing so has been years in the making, with Lallana influential to creating a culture of excellence in the dressing room since his signing in the summer of 2014.
He has been termed a “standard-setter” by Klopp in terms of his attitude, application and being a source of guidance for the club’s younger players – as Harvey Elliott and Neco Williams have recently stated.
All indications are that Lallana, whose current terms expire on 30 June, will agree the short extension as it would make sense for all parties.
Klopp would like the 32-year-old to close off his six-year stint at Liverpool on a high and carry on helping push the squad as “they go for the maximum points we can get.”
Lallana is fit and available for selection, but knows it would make sense for the manager to prioritise those who will still be at the club next season for the remaining nine games of 2019-20.
This is especially pertinent given the lack of time to prepare for the new campaign, with Liverpool using the upcoming period as a pre-season of sorts.
As such, The Independent understands Lallana has suggested a reduced financial package during the talks for him to stay.
An unprecedented situation also means Klopp will have to factor in that Liverpool’s outstanding fixtures will be against a few teams that have designs on signing the player as a free agent.
Lallana has been the subject of multiple approaches from Premier League sides since January and had planned to make a decision on his next destination in May.
With the suspension of football due to coronavirus forcing a shift to the end of the campaign, he is now only expected to announce his future plans in the off-season.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel Clyne has been training at the Academy doing an individual routine ahead of his exit from Liverpool at the close of June.
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