Liverpool winger joins Lazio on free transfer

Lazio have secured the signing of Liverpool winger Bobby Adekanye, according to reports.

Corriere dello Sport announced earlier that the 20-year-old has joined the Serie A club on a four-year deal, having failed to establish himself at Anfield.

Adekanye has not made a first-team appearance since joining the Reds from Barcelona in 2015. He has only featured nine times for the club in Premier League overall and twice this season, in which he scored one goal.

Lazio have long been interested in securing the services of Adekanye. After it became evident that he had no future with Liverpool, he spent time with the club in April, met the club’s directors and was given a tour of the training facilities.

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This is a decision that is best for club and player. Adekanye has not come of age and it is extremely unlikely that he would have got opportunities with Liverpool next season considering the world-class talent Jurgen Klopp has at his disposal. He is now also at a stage of his career where he should have something solid on the table rather than having to undergo loan spells.

Adekanye has tremendous talent, having been a product of Barcelona’s esteemed La Masia academy, and it could one day hurt many fans of Liverpool if he does develop into a world-class player in the Serie A.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are expected to make a few signings during the summer transfer window. Two other players who could be headed out of Anfield are strikers Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi. The former Chelsea and Manchester City forward Sturridge is not the player that he was about four years ago and clearly needs a change of environment if he is to play more minutes. Origi has struggled to live up to expectations following his arrival at Anfield in 2014.