What Liverpool didn't confirm during Anfield tributes despite player making transfer intentions clear

Jurgen Klopp believes there might not be a better free transfer than Joel Matip in Liverpool's history. There will be few who object.

Perhaps only James Milner can compare to Matip when it comes to players arriving on freebies. Both have etched themselves into Anfield folklore - although the pair have now departed.

Milner brought the curtain down on his Reds career last summer ahead of a summer midfield rebuild. And following Klopp out of the L4 exit door at the end of the 2023-24 is Matip.

After 201 appearances, 11 goals and seven major trophies, the centre-back will always be welcomed back on Merseyside. After Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, he was giving a rousing send-off and the only great shame was that he could not be involved in the squad. An ACL injury suffered in December denied him of that chance - and perhaps a new Liverpool contract. Matip was making a third successive Premier League start when he sustained his cruel setback in a 4-3 win over Fulham. In the previous game, he’d held the Reds earn a 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Injuries have been the chief reason why Thiago Alcantara's Liverpool career never fully hit lift-off. There's no doubt of his quality. In terms of talent alone, he would rank among the very best to have ever donned the Liver Bird on his chest. But fitness issues are why Thiago was limited to only 98 appearances in four years. Yet he will still be remembered for his swashbuckling performances in the 3-0 win over Manchester City in the 2022 FA Cup semi-final and a 4-0 triumph against Manchester United in the same season.

Both Matip and Thiago were given mementoes depicting the Champions Wall at Anfield ahead of their respective exits. The duo are out of contract and have not been handed new deals.

However, interestingly, the Reds did not say farewell to Adrian, whose contract is also coming to a close. The goalkeeper arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2019 on a free transfer from West Ham United to serve as second choice behind Alisson Becker.

Adrian was Liverpool’s hero in the UEFA Super Cup victory over Chelsea on penalties, while he was between the posts for the 2022 Community Shield win over Manchester City. He’s also been part of the squad that won the Premier League, FA Cup, two League Cups and Club World Cup. But the Spaniard has served as No.3 keeper in the past three years following the emergence of Caoimhin Kelleher. In total, Adrian has made 26 appearances for the Reds, although his last outing in the Premier League was more than three years ago.

The 37-year-old recently admitted that he did wish to return to La Liga, having come through the ranks at Real Betis before his switch to West Ham in 2013.

Speaking to Movistar Plus+ (via muchodeporte.com) he said: “I would like to return to La Liga after 11 seasons in the Premier League. It would be the end of a cycle.

“I’m still ready to compete. I feel very good despite being 37. You know that goalkeepers, if you take good care of yourself, if you haven’t had any serious injuries lately and you’re fine, the daily training gives you that intensity that makes you compete.

“I think Adrian [the player] has a long time left and it’s true that I would like to return to La Liga. It has to be a nice, interesting project.

“I haven’t sat down with Liverpool yet either. I don’t rule out that we could have a pending conversation, but it is true that we will be looking out of the corner of our eye to see what happens in La Liga.”