Liverpool Must Brūtally Cash in on 4/10 Dud Who Earns Even More Than Diaz & Elliott
Liverpool are arguably the best team in the world at the moment, widely regarded as the side to beat in the Premier League title race and possibly in the Champions League as well, having comfortably topped their group stage.
Arne Slot possesses a sharp tactical mind, and his start at Anfield has been impressive. However, he is not without flaws, as demonstrated by Liverpool’s heavily rotated squad suffering a defeat to Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The Championship’s bottom-placed team fully deserved their victory.
A harsh truth is that several first-team players have been riding on the success of Slot’s key performers this season, including Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch, and Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool had already secured Champions League progression with a game to spare last month, allowing Slot to make significant changes for the final group-stage match against PSV Eindhoven. Despite showing determination, Liverpool ended up losing.
Against Plymouth, Liverpool’s fringe players were comprehensively outplayed and left with their futures in doubt after an embarrassing defeat.
Players Likely to Leave Liverpool
For now, let’s set aside Liverpool’s looming contract negotiations—those matters will become clearer in the months ahead.
Slot has a formidable first team at Liverpool, but there is a genuine concern about the squad’s depth beyond the starting lineup. The Reds have often flattered to deceive, failing to impress from start to finish.
Beyond immediate contract worries, Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson will soon enter the final year of their respective deals. Efforts must be intensified to secure their long-term futures at the club.
Caoimhin Kelleher faces a similar situation, though he is expected to leave at the end of the season. Liverpool have already signed Giorgi Mamardashvili—currently on loan at Valencia—as competition for Alisson Becker in goal.
Plymouth showed resilience in the FA Cup and, simply put, they wanted the victory more. Players like Luis Díaz and Harvey Elliott were among the poorest performers, despite possessing the talent and status in Slot’s squad to take control of the game and steer Liverpool away from an upset. They failed to do so.
Elliott, 21, has been linked with a move away in recent months due to his limited role this season, yet his future still appears to be on Merseyside.
However, Díaz, 28, has been inconsistent too often and will enter the penultimate year of his contract next season. Liverpool may consider cashing in while they still have the opportunity.
FSG Should Sell £12m Liverpool Talent
Díaz is not the only player under scrutiny. While Liverpool should extend veteran Andy Robertson’s contract, they must also strengthen at left-back to ease his workload. This necessitates the sale of Kostas Tsimikas.
Tsimikas has been a loyal squad member for Liverpool, never voicing complaints despite spending most, if not all, of his time at the club as Robertson’s understudy.
Since his £12 million move from Olympiakos in August 2020—one year after Alberto Moreno departed at the end of his contract—the Greece international has had opportunities to prove himself.
He has registered 18 assists in 107 appearances, averaging 21.4 matches per season. However, this statistic is slightly skewed since the current campaign is still ongoing.
Tsimikas has had his share of significant moments. His role as a backup left-back has seen him contribute to Liverpool’s three domestic cup victories over the past five years. Notably, he delivered the last-minute corner that led to Virgil van Dijk’s winner in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea last season.
His greatest strength lies in his crossing ability, ranking among the top 12% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, and the top 3% for progressive carries per 90 minutes, according to FBref.
However, his weaknesses are equally evident, particularly in dribbling and positional awareness. If Robertson is to extend his stay at Liverpool beyond his soon-to-expire contract, the 28-year-old Tsimikas will likely have to make way.
| Kostas Tsimikas – Premier League Career by Season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Apps (starts) | Goals | Assists |
| 24/25 | 10 (3) | 0 | 1 |
| 23/24 | 13 (8) | 0 | 3 |
| 22/23 | 20 (9) | 0 | 4 |
| 21/22 | 13 (9) | 0 | 2 |
| 20/21 | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 |
| Stats Source: Transfermarkt | |||
Tsimikas has never enjoyed a prolonged run of starts in the Premier League, though he featured more frequently last season while Robertson struggled with injury setbacks.
Despite earning a substantial £75,000 per week, Tsimikas astonishingly takes home more than both Díaz and Elliott, even though his role in the squad is arguably less significant than theirs.
Neither forward impressed in Liverpool’s recent FA Cup defeat to Plymouth, but Tsimikas was equally at fault. He squandered a crucial opportunity to convince Slot that he deserves a bigger role during the decisive months of the season.
This Is Anfield rated the Greek defender a disappointing 4/10, highlighting that he had wasted a major chance to stake his claim, especially with Robertson re-establishing himself as the first-choice left-back in recent weeks.
According to Sofascore, Tsimikas lost possession 22 times and was unsuccessful with nine of his ten attempted crosses, failing to deliver in the one area that is considered his strongest attribute.
The Athletic reports that Liverpool are actively searching for a new left-back. With FSG unlikely to keep three senior left-backs on the books and Robertson, now 30, still capable of making a significant contribution, it might be time for Tsimikas to seek opportunities elsewhere.
In other news, Alexander Isak’s Next Club Decided with Liverpool and Premier League Rivals Interested
