Jurgen Klopp wanted to KEEP two players but Liverpool released them

Jurgen Klopp wanted to keep two players at Liverpool last summer but the club released them instead. Was that a mistake?

The Times reports that Jurgen Klopp was at odds with Liverpool last summer over keeping two players. The German wanted the Reds to hold onto James Milner and Roberto Firmino despite them coming to the end of their contracts.

However, Liverpool decided not to. They let the pair leave for free, with Milner joining Brighton and Firmino heading to Al-Hilal.

Of course, it wasn't a great surprise that Liverpool felt that way. Many expected the pair were entering their final campaign with the Reds back in 2022 and it became more apparent over the course of the campaign that they were coming to the end of their time at Anfield.

But was it a mistake? Should Liverpool have listened to Klopp?

James Milner and Roberto Firmino

The more this season has progressed, the more it's become apparent that Liverpool moved on too many senior players at once. After all, both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho left the club last summer, too.

Milner's presence as a leader could have addressed some of the issues of the last few months. Liverpool certainly appeared to struggle mentally across fixtures and they've had a hard time rebounding back from it.

Firmino hasn't exactly thrived in Saudi Arabia but there's also a feeling Liverpool missed him. His unique presence up top would have given Klopp an extra option, while we shouldn't forget just how good he was in front of goal last season.

The Brazilian scored 11 times in the Premier League and had the third-best goals-per-90 ratio. Only Erling Haaland and Callum Wilson had him beat in that regard.

It's difficult not to believe Firmino could have had an impact as the Reds struggled for goals. Maybe that's just an easy fix but it's one that makes us wonder if Klopp had a point last year.