“I imagine he’s a popular boy” – Frank McAvennie claims Liverpool star could join Premier League clubs if Reds fail to act quickly

Former West Ham United star Frank McAvennie has opined that Liverpool could lose James Milner to a Premier League club if they fail to extend his contract this summer. This comes after journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed the Reds are already in contract extension talks with the veteran midfielder.

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie noted that the Englishman would present an attractive option for other Premier League clubs. He said:

“I would be giving him another year, keep him around the club. He’s not going to be a first-choice player but he can come on and he will always do well. The guy can play anywhere, he is such a brilliant player to have available. He won’t let Klopp down, that’s the big thing. I think Klopp likes to reward these players who have served him so well."

He added:

“I imagine he’s a popular boy and clearly he can still do a job. So in one sense, it is better for Liverpool to have him because if he left on a free, you know, he could join another Premier League club. I don’t know if he would want to but he could definitely find someone to take him.”

Milner’s contract with the Reds looks set to expire in the summer. However, the club will hope to keep the veteran midfielder in their ranks a little longer as he provides quality cover and leadership for the team.

Milner made his 800th career appearance in the Reds' win over Inter Milan in the Champions League last week. He will hope to rack up more appearances in the coming weeks.

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Liverpool keep Premier League title hopes alive with win against Norwich City

FC Internazionale v Liverpool FC: Round Of Sixteen Leg One - UEFA Champions League

Although Liverpool currently sit behind Manchester City in the Premier League, the Reds still have a strong chance of overtaking Pep Guardiola's men this season.

Jurgen Klopp's men registered a 3-1 comeback win against Norwich City, which was made better when Manchester City lost 3-2 to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

In the game at Anfield, Norwich opened the scoring with a deflected strike to go 1-0 up. Sadio Mane scored an acrobatic attempt to pull his team level on the night. Mohamed Salah then rounded the keeper and added a second goal within three minutes to go 2-1 up. New signing Luis Diaz put his name on the scoresheet, scoring the third goal with a brilliant chip.