Liverpool officially confirm 12 exits including Mohamed Salah and Barcelona hero | Football | Sport

Liverpool have announced that 12 players are set to depart the club this summer, among them first-team regulars Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate. Defender Rhys Williams brings to a close his 15-year association with the club, having played a crucial role as defensive cover under Jurgen Klopp during the 2020-21 campaign.

Several academy prospects are also moving on, including James Balagizi and Oakley Cannonier – the ballboy who famously handed Trent Alexander-Arnold the ball for the decisive goal against Barcelona in the iconic Champions League semi-final victory in 2019. Kyle Kelly, Afolami Onanuga, Oliver O’Connor, Lucas Pitt, Ben Trueman, Matthew Wright, Prince Cisse and Keyrol Figueroa, sons of Premier League cult heroes Djibril Cisse and Maynor Figueroa, have been offered new contracts.

Robertson and Salah received a heartfelt farewell at Anfield during an emotional send-off on the final day draw with Brentford. Both the Scotland and Egyptian internationals were substituted by then-head coach Arne Slot, each receiving their own separate makeshift guards of honour.

Konate’s time on Merseyside, however, came to an end after failing to reach an agreement with the Liverpool hierarchy. The centre-back had suggested he was close to penning an extension following the victory over Everton in April, but with both parties unable to agree terms, the 27-year-old will depart as a free agent.

Robertson was confirmed as a Tottenham Hotspur player on Friday. The North London outfit announced that the full-back will complete his switch to the capital following a trophy-laden stint at Anfield upon the expiry of his contract this month.

The 32-year-old will join up with Roberto De Zerbi after the World Cup, where he will captain Scotland at the major tournament for the first time since 1998.

Andoni Iraola will get an initial glimpse of his new squad when they report back for pre-season next month, but he will be without three key figures under Klopp and Slot as they depart for pastures new.

The Spaniard has offered fresh hope to the emerging talent at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, revealing during his first interview with the club’s in-house media team that their youngsters will be given chances in pre-season.

He said: “For me right now, I think it’s more than talk to the players. Some of them will be on deserved holidays, some of them will be with their national teams. I want to talk to the staff, to the people that were here every day, that know very well the players, to arrive as ready as possible to that first day of pre-season.

“I think especially with a lot of those young players that will do the pre-season with us, a lot of things about the organisation, about the staff, about how we can create the best atmosphere, the best environment so when they arrive [on] day one, everyone feels everything is in place and we can do this process of adaptation, that it will take some time as soon as possible.”

Kareem Ahmed heads the list of youngsters departing the club, with Emmanuel Airoboma, DJ Bernard, Josh Davidson, Terence Miles and Jacob Poytress also set to leave.

Balagizi made two appearances on the first-team bench throughout his Liverpool career, serving as an unused substitute during the Reds’ domestic cup double in 2022, in victories over Shrewsbury and Norwich.

Cannonier has brought the curtain down on his Liverpool career, half a decade after putting pen to paper on his first professional contract at the club. The forward went on trial at Leeds United in January 2025, though no transfer materialised.

Following his heroics during the memorable comeback victory over Lionel Messi and co, Jose Mourinho saluted the then-14-year-old. He said previously: “You want a quick throw in, the ballboys need to know you want a quick throw in

“The ball must arrive fast. In this game, the kid, very intelligent, very bright. I don’t know if he’s an Academy player or not, but the kid knew what he was going to do.”