Is Adam Lallana's time up at Liverpool?

Bengaluru, November 11: Liverpool have been improving by leaps and bounds since the day Jurgen Klopp was assigned the job after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers. Their progress finally had something to show for it last season as they were crowned the European champions for the sixth time in their history.

Just one solitary point prevented the Reds from Premier League glory but they could be on their way to finally end their 30-year drought this season. It's still only November but they have an eight-point lead at the top and are nine points clear of Manchester City and are certainly in the driver's seat.

Klopp has slowly but surely built a very strong squad at Anfield and very few of the players he inherited from Rodgers have survived for this long. And, among them has been Adam Lallana who despite his poor luck with injuries over the years has managed to stay. Even though it would seem that he is more of a peripheral figure in the squad at the moment, Klopp is evidently a huge fan of the 31-year-old and values him highly.

According to The Telegraph, Lallana has emerged as a major target for a number of clubs in China and the United States. His contact with Liverpool is up for expiry in the summer and he could potentially head out of Anfield on a free transfer. The former English Player of the Year is allowed to sign a pre-agreement with any non-Premier League suitors in January.

The reports also state that Klopp is reluctant to lose Lallana and has urged the board to enter contract talks with the former Southampton skipper. However, it is probably the best for both parties to part ways if the bigger picture is to be looked at. Yes, Lallana's experience and versatility is unparalleled by most of the Liverpool players, but Klopp probably needs to look at this in the long term.

Liverpool have some quality youngsters trying to make their way into the first team for quite some time now. Harry Wilson has been impressive for Bournemouth on loan this season and was excellent last term too for Derby County in the Championship.

Another player who certainly has made a strong case for himself while on loan at Hertha BSA is Klopp's first ever Liverpool signing Marko Grujic. The duo look more than ready for the first-team next season and Lallana's stay at the club will prevent that which would not be a good advertisement for the club.

The likes of Curtis Jones, Rhian Brewster, Ki Jana Hoever, Ben Woodburn, Ovie Ejaria among others do not look far away from first-team quality either and for them to make their way, the senior players like Lallana will have to make way sooner or later. That's exactly how things work.

Lallana is 31 now and does not have plenty of football left in him. The whole England are aware of his quality but they are also aware of his injury prone nature. It would probably be a good move for the player to move to somewhere like China or the USA where the game is less intense that could help him prolong his career. If the bigger picture is to be seen, it is ideal time for Klopp to bid a goodbye to one of his favourite players who has been a great servant to the club.