Why Jurgen Klopp should give Nathaniel Clyne the boot

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should give defender Nathaniel Clyne the boot as Cardiff City are credited with interest.

Reports have insisted that City want to take the right-back on loan in January. Clyne has only made one appearance this season and appears to be completely out of favour with Klopp.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s progression through the ranks has been unexpected, but that’s not the sole reason for the former Southampton man’s Anfield demise.

Clyne was important to the Reds once, but injury allowed Alexander-Arnold to leapfrog the England international and Klopp’s playing style doesn’t mesh with Clyne’s ability.

More from Rush The Kop

• Set to return, Virgil Van Dijk facing heavy criticism back home
• Liverpool making late comebacks all the rage once again
• Wolves tilt gives Klopp opportunity to tinker with lineup following international duty
• Players to watch in the matchup with Wolves
• Predicting Liverpool’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures

And that’s because he’s an out-and-out defender, and a good one at that. But the manager wants his full-backs to get up and down the flank effectively. He wants them to be a danger, to get assists, to be Andy Robertson. And Clyne just can’t do that.

Which is probably why Joe Gomez has been played at right-back whenever TAA has been handed a breather. Gomez is quick, strong and can attack – and so he plays.

Clyne does ensure Liverpool have another player who is eligible for the quota system, but in all honesty they don’t actually need him around the squad. At his age, with a handful of England games, the right-back could be a regular starter for anyone outside the top six.

Cardiff have a good history with Liverpool as they took Marko Grujic on loan for the second half of last season. The Serbian, who is with Hertha Berlin for the entire 2018/2019 campaign, made 14 appearances and helped the Bluebirds gain promotion to the Premier League.

There is no doubt that Clyne would be given as many games as he could handled. The Mirror have reported that Warnock is struggling to fill the right-back position and has been forced to play central defenders on the flank.

It would be a good move for Liverpool, Cardiff and Clyne. It’s a no brainer and the Englishman has to go.