It was another rough day on Thursday at Liverpool Football Club as it was confirmed that Andy Robertson will be departing the club this summer upon the expiry of his current contract.
The Scot will be joining Mohamed Salah at the exit this summer, a year after we saw Trent Alexander-Arnold among others, also depart. The core of Liverpool's decade run of excellence are slowly ebbing away from Merseyside.
When you look at this from a macro level, you could see an argument both for Robbo to carry on at the club and a case for him to depart.
However, that's not what I'm going to focus on here. As crazy as this might sound to most football fans, I think there is a legitimate case from a footballing and emotional perspective that Robertson's exit could hurt more than the Egyptian leaving.
I'll explain...
Salah's greatness is unmatched
I'm not a fool. In no way am I saying that Andy Robertson was, is, or ever has been, a greater player than Salah at his peak.
Salah is one of the best Liverpool players in the history of this great club. He's got several Golden Boots, 250+ goals, countless magical moments and more. There is no denying the greatness that our No. 11 has brought to the club.
He spearheaded the attack for years and carried the scoring burden in some of the biggest matches and very rarely did he ever not come through for us.
There will be few players to come to this club that could even consider replicating what he has accomplished Anfield.
A lot of Robertson's many assists were converted by Salah. They were two of the pillars of the club at the peak of its powers under Jurgen Klopp.
However, having Salah on the pitch made life easier for everyone else as he was consistently drawing 2 and 3 defenders whenever he touched the ball. He did so much and accomplished so much. This is not a slight on his Liverpool legacy at all.
Liverpool's needs have changed
When the club spent over £450 million pounds on prodigious attacking talent like Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike; the writing was on the wall for the long-term future for Salah.
While he did sign an extension through 2027, we all knew the heirs had arrived to take the scoring and creative mantle from the Egyptian. While injuries have largely hampered Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz have shown more than enough to generate confidence the attack should be in good hands.
To compound that, the 2025/26 season has been the least effective for Salah since he joined the club. He is no longer the constant threat and hero that can save a match from anywhere in attack.
The emergence of youngster Rio Ngumoha as well offers the club hope of a proper future attacking line full of dynamism and flair.
The same can't be said about the defense. While Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong were brought in to become the new creative fullback duo at the club, the results have been mixed to date.
Furthermore, there are far fewer options to step in at the back in case of injury or poor form, let alone a player with the experience and cache of Robbo.
Even with it appearing that the Hungarian has officially surpassed Robertson as first choice left-back, that does not mean losing the Scotland captain will be a small matter to deal with. There is no Ngumoha at fullback for the Reds right now.
Defensive reinforcements have been needed since even before the prospect that Robertson might be leaving sometime soon. However, they have still not been fully investigated, and now that situation will be amplified over the summer.
Robbo embodies the Liverpool spirit
From a tactical and emotional perspective, Robertson has been a sublime fit for this club almost from Day 1 after arriving from Hull City.
His work ethic, clear passion, boundless stamina and world class skills all made him an easy fan favorite. He was probably the coaching staff's favorite as well.
Even now, he brings so much to the pitch, even in limited capacities. His leadership has honestly been an underrated trait, which is understandable when you spend most of your time playing alongside Virgil van Dijk.
While Kerkez is the firecracker that plays with a fierce desire, Robertson is a nice alternative to that. He will still works his socks off for the badge, but there is a calmness to him now that is vital.
He could be a tremendous mentor to the youngster going forward over the next few years. There would be few players that could explain the ethos of this club, and the nature of the expectations better than Robbo.
Whether the system is Arne Slot's next season, or a new manager, having a player like Robbo, even at this stage of his career, would be a nice option to have when competing on four fronts every season.
The club could bring in another fullback sure, but unless they are bringing in accomplished top class players, the depth at the position will take a hit in quality both on and off the pitch.
So, while the club has already done the business of replacing Salah's goals and assists with proven stars, no such work has been done at the back. Kerkez will be relied upon to take a huge leap next season in his levels.
With Andy Robertson departing this summer, the club will have lost one of its best leaders, most versatile defenders and a voice in the dressing room that carries weight.
Robbo was not heralded as a marquee addition when he arrived, so hopefully we can see his replacement perhaps take that route. However, for now, when our beloved No. 26 finally leaves Anfield, the club will be worse off than it is today.