Napoli Reportedly Contacted Liverpool Over Nathaniel Clyne Availability

Liverpool are seeking £15m for the former England international.

Hey, remember when the Liverpool Twittersphere was exploding with hot takes about how wrong, wrong, wrong Jurgen Klopp was to let Nathaniel Clyne go in January during a defensive injury crisis? Well, the boss still guided the Reds to a Premier League record of 97 points, with the best defense in the league, and a second consecutive Champions League final, to boot.

Always trust in Kloppo.

Anyway, Clyne went out to Bournemouth on loan, and got some much-needed game time. Clyne had struggled with fitness over the past two seasons at Liverpool, starting only 4 matches since May 2017. To say his days as the seemingly indestructible Clynebot 3000 were over is an understatement. On loan, Clyney managed 15 appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth, and apparently did enough to garner the attention of Napoli.

According to The Echo, the Serie A side have contacted Liverpool about acquiring Clyne’s services. Further, Liverpool have set a price of £15 million for the rightback. Considering the club signed Clyne from Southampton for £12.5 million, and the 28-year-old will have just one year left on his contract this summer, it would be a pretty good piece of business for the club.

At this juncture, it’s clear that Klopp doesn’t see Clyne as a part of his long-term plans. While he has always been a solid defender for Liverpool, Klopp requires a greater attacking threat from his fullbacks, as seen by the double-digit league assists from both Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, he is a quality player, and could well thrive at a club that utilizes a more traditional fullback.

For the sake of both the player and the club, let’s hope that Clyne can find a new home soon.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com