According to the Telegraph, Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with James Milner’s representatives over a potential transfer of the English midfielder to the Merseyside club in the coming window, with the 29-year-old reluctant to renew his current deal at City.
Liverpool have supposedly been in talks with the midfielder for some time, and despite rumours of increased interest from Arsenal and Manchester United over the past few days, it appears Liverpool may have finally got their man, after months of speculation that Milner wanted to swap sky blue for red.
Supposedly, Milner had been seeking assurances from Manuel Pellegrini about his position in the team, with the former Aston Villa player wanting to play in central midfield rather than out wide, a role which he has occupied for some time now. Presumably he was unable to secure these – despite City being visibly keen to re-sign the midfielder to a new contract – and as such has considered moves away.
In Liverpool, he’s likely been able to find a club that will accommodate his central midfield role, while also benefitting him personally. With Liverpool not being far from Manchester, it’s unlikely he’ll have to uproot his family and move somewhere else, and he can stay where he is for the final few years of his career.
The Telegraph expect Milner to have a significant increase on his current City wage, as well as a signing-on fee. In the past few months, the contract has been rumoured to be up to four years.
