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James Milner has been an influential star for Jurgen Klopp after joining from Manchester City in 2015. He had made an instant impact in his debut season for Liverpool and became one of the most successful free transfers for the Merseyside outfit.
He has adapted well to his new role as a central midfielder for the Reds despite mostly playing as a winger at Manchester City. A complete midfielder who could do equally well in defence and attack, Milner would be hard to replace by the club due to his excellent skill set.
This season the Englishman has been involved in 12 goals combined in both the Champions and domestic league. Milner also has made an average of 1.7 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game. Unfortunately, he is now 33 years old and will not get any younger.
Hence, we will look at 3 players who could replace the Liverpool star:
Also see: Fantasy Premier League , Fantasy Premier League Tips, Arsenal Transfer News
#3 Kerem Demirbay
The German player has been one of Hoffenheim's best central midfielders this season. A sharp player with extraordinary vision, Demirbay's productivity would be enough to cover most of Milner's goal contribution for Liverpool.
The 25-year-old played for Borussia Dortmund youth side when Jurgen Klopp was still in charge of the German giants but unfortunately never got promoted to the first team. Now he has transformed into a star player and has reportedly caught the manager's attention.
He has been involved in 10 goals for Hoffenheim and has been better defensively than his Liverpool counterpart this season. However, his passing ability has been a bit short for a central midfielder as he only completed an average of 80 per cent of his deliveries. Nevertheless, he is still young and would surely improve under Klopp.
#2 James Rodriguez
The Colombian has transformed from one of the most talented superstars to one of the most unfortunate players in recent seasons. Although Real Madrid bought him for a record-shattering €80 million from AS Monaco in 2014, he has now faced an uncertain future.
The Los Blancos are willing to sell him to for just half of the price to Bayern Munchen but, the German giants are yet to trigger the purchase option so far. Liverpool are said to be interested in the playmaker's service and could serve as a suitable escape route for the unfortunate 27-year-old.
The Real Madrid star has shared a similar career path to James Milner due to him previously played prominently on the flanks but has now switched to a central midfield role. Hence, he could thrive as Milner's replacement in Liverpool's midfield.
He might not be as good as his counterpart in defending but, he would surely serve as an offensive upgrade for the 33-year-old. Rodriguez's passing accuracy and the average number of key passes are much better than the Englishman. He has also outscored Milner in the league and would be more suitable for an offensive-minded club such as Liverpool.
#1 Adrien Rabiot
The French midfielder has been on Liverpool's radar for some time now. He even send the Reds faithful into a meltdown after his 'doppelganger' was spotted during the Tottenham Hotspur clash. The 23-year-old has been unfortunate following PSG's decision to freeze him due to his refusal over a contract extension.
Despite his difficult situation, Rabiot is still regarded as one of the most promising midfielders in Europe. An avid passer with excellent vision and productivity, the PSG superstar orchestrated megastars such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe last season.
This season he has only managed to start 12 Ligue 1 games due to his situation. Nevertheless, he has recorded excellent stats as he has completed an impressive 93 per cent of his passes on average and has been involved in 3 goals.
His defensive stats are much better than James Milner as he has made an average of 2.3 tackles and 0.7 interceptions this season. He would surely help Liverpool a lot in smoothening their gameplay due to his outstanding deliveries while maintaining Milner's defensive presence. As a free transfer, he would be an all-win solution for the Reds to replace the Englishman.
