Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is reportedly keen to keep veteran midfielder James Milner at the club for another season.
The 37-year-old is due to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign and has been tipped to depart as the Reds prepare for a major midfield overhaul.
Milner is down the pecking order when it comes to starts at Anfield, but his versatility, experience and leadership qualities make him a valuable member of Klopp's first-team squad.
The former England international has two assists under his belt from 32 matches in all tournaments this season, although he has only started six games in the Premier League.
Liverpool tied Milner down to a fresh one-year contract in the summer of 2022, and according to Football Insider, Klopp wants to sanction another extension for the midfielder.
© Reuters
The report claims that the Reds boss has implored the board to offer Milner a new one-year contract, which would see him remain with the Merseyside giants until after his 38th birthday.
Klopp would supposedly regard Milner as a "huge loss" to the dressing room if he departed this summer, but Liverpool are hopeful that a new deal can be struck quickly when negotiations begin.
Back in January, Klopp hinted that he wanted Milner to stay at Anfield for a little while longer, telling a press conference: "We have different plans for Milly but Milly wants to keep playing, and when you see him play the other night [against Wolves] I think everyone understands that.
"You can't judge him normal for his age. He is 37, but he doesn't look a day like this when he is in training. He is an incredibly important player and in this game (Wolves) you saw on the pitch as well.
"It is not that Milly expects to play 64 games a season but in a 64-game season Milly could be extremely important. That is how it is. Milly has reached 600 games and most of them were for Liverpool.
© Reuters
"Even a player who had a few clubs can end up at 'his' club and I would consider Liverpool as 'his' club, and I am pretty sure the club should use his character and his mindset because it is really special.
"There might be more fancy players out there but no one with a similar mindset and that makes him incredibly valuable for us. And it is not because I am 'too loyal'; it is just a fact."
Milner left Manchester City on a free transfer in 2015 to join Liverpool, and the Englishman has since registered 26 goals and 46 assists in 321 games for Klopp's side in all tournaments.
The 37-year-old became only the fourth player to hit 600 Premier League appearances earlier this season, and he is only one away from matching Frank Lampard's 609, but he remains behind Ryan Giggs (632) and all-time record holder Gareth Barry (652).
While Milner could stay on for another year, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are expected to leave ahead of the 2023-24 season, while Arthur's loan deal from Juventus will not be made permanent.
Despite their inconsistencies throughout the season, Liverpool remain one of the frontrunners to sign Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, who supposedly still views Anfield as his preferred destination for a summer transfer.
Ben Knapton
