‘Klopp said’ - James Pearce claims Liverpool ‘are having talks’ over future of Anfield stalwart

James Milner’s Liverpool future remains up in the air, with the ball potentially lying in the veteran midfielder’s court, according to journalist James Pearce.

The 36-year-old has been a superb servant for the Reds, arriving on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2015 and going on to win the Premier League and Champions League at Anfield.

Over the weekend, reports claimed that Milner could extend his stay on Merseyside, with his current contract expiring at the end of this season.

With Jurgen Klopp already having lots of midfield options at his disposal, it came as something of a surprise, and another update has now emerged regarding the vice-captain’s situation.

Writing in a matchday discussion for The Athletic on Sunday, Pearce claimed that talks are underway between Milner and Liverpool, with a decision not yet made regarding the 36-year-old.

The journalist outlined: “Klopp said they are having talks about what happens beyond this season. A lot will depend on what Milner himself wants. I think he’ll still want to play regularly.”

While Milner is a wonderful “role model” (in Klopp’s own words) and still a valuable contributor, there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of sense offering him another deal. At 36, his best days are undoubtedly behind him and in captain Jordan Henderson, Liverpool already have a player who could take up his team-mate’s experienced squad role.

With the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott now perhaps ahead of Milner in the pecking order, as well as Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson and Naby Keita, it is hard to see how he would feature much next season, barring an injury crisis.

The only sense could be if a player-coach role was offered to the veteran midfielder, in which case it could prove