After releasing veteran defender Kolo Toure last week, it looks to be just a matter of time before long-serving Liverpool centerback Martin Skrtel follows the much loved Ivorian through the exit door. Even after recovering from a hamstring injury, the 31-year old remained out of favour and riding the bench for much of the second half of the season as Reds boss Jurgen Klopp put his faith in the defensive pairing of Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren.
While there’s been speculation during every transfer window that Skrtel might leave Anfield, this time it’s under different circumstances as the Slovakian hard-man moves towards the twilight of his career. Liverpool have remained tight lipped thus far regarding potential comings and goings on Merseyside this summer, but the defender’s agent hasn’t been playing that same game.
“Fenerbahce have been interested for four years but there are also offers from China and Wolfsburg also want him,” Mithat Halis, an agent who works for the management company that represents Skrtel told Radyspor when asked about potential destinations for the veteran. “Besiktas are not interested and Galatasaray cannot currently afford him,” he added, though that seems to contradict what his actual agent Karol Csonto had to say about the Turkish champions. “Besiktas is one of those interested in Martin,” he told Slovakian TV station Markiza “but we haven’t reached a point where I can confirm Martin is going there, or anywhere else.”
Besides the bit of confusion swirling around his camp, the consensus seems to be that the 31-year old is almost certainly on the move — though, that could change quite quickly depending on what UEFA decide to do with Sakho after the Frenchman failed a drugs test following Liverpool’s win over Manchester United in the Europa League Round of 16. He may have escaped having his initial 30-day ban increased, but the European governing body could still take further action against the defender even though they’re set to investigate whether or not the fat burning supplement he tested positive for should even be on their list of banned substances. Skrtel’s future looks like it’ll be away from Anfield for the time being, but you never know what’s going to happen…
