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Jurgen Klopp kills exit talk and says he is counting on Liverpool man

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will not be sold this summer and remains convinced he can get the most from Thiago Alcantara.

After a season to forget for Klopp, the Reds coach is looking forward to a break for himself and his players. Liverpool face an uphill struggle to reach the Champions League places and he made his feelings known again on Friday as to the reason for his side’s decline. Klopp pointed to injuries to key personnel as the reason for their drop off and says he knew they would struggle such was the depth of their injury crisis.

A number of Liverpool players have hardly been seen this season due to injuries and one of those is Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The former Arsenal man started the campaign with a knee injury and has struggled to hit top speed. He has made just 10 Premier League appearances this season and has not started a game since January.

That has led to talk that he could be allowed to move on this summer. The 27-year-old will have two years remaining on his contract this summer and that has led to talk he could look to leave.

According to Fichajes, Oxlade-Chamberlain has grown “tired” of his situation and has decided to quit Anfield.

One suitor has already emerged, with Borussia Dortmund reportedly trying to “seduce” him to the Bundesliga.

Klopp though was having none of it on Friday.

“The summer is important for all of us,” said Klopp. “When you don’t start games and you have to use every training session and every minute on the pitch to convince. I don’t have to be convinced, actually, but it’s about showing up in these kinds of moments.

“Ox had some good moments; he has shown up really well and that is good. This situation is not always easy for all the boys not only Ox, but for Naby, not easy for Shaq – I know that. During this season, a lot of things have happened. One thing we try to do is get balance, rhythm and stability.

“That means you don’t change these kinds of positions too often during games and that is it pretty much. So a few things in midfield need to be different to other times when we were much more settled and stable. That is the reason why some players don’t have enough minutes.

“They understand the situation; that is clear. But hopefully that will completely change next year because when you have more stability in the last line then you can be more flexible formation-wise further up the pitch. Am I counting on him for next season? Yes.”

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No problem with Thiago

Another midfielder who has struggled is Thiago. He arrived last summer to much fanfare and a £20m price tag. He was seen as the man to add the flair to Klopp’s workman-like midfield.

However, despite showing flashes of brilliance he has been hindered by an ever-changing midfield. Klopp has had to switch his key midfield players into defenders and Thiago has suffered.

Asked if he could get more from the former Bayern Munich man, Klopp was adamant the 30-year-old will show more next season.

“We are completely happy with him,” said Klopp. “We will see the best of him. I don’t think we saw it already but that is not a problem.

“We are 100 per cent convinced we will get the best out of him because he is a world-class player.”

READ MORE: Southampton CEO shatters Liverpool’s hopes of summer cash windfall

 

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