Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright believes that Daniel Sturridge should leave Liverpool and try his luck away from the Premier League.
The 27-year-old has struggled again this season, making just 18 appearances in all competitions with limited minutes, having started just two Premier League games since September.
When he plays, he tends to score. The England international has six goals and two assists in that time on the pitch, but through a combination on injuries and fierce competition, it hasn’t had a steady run of games under Jurgen Klopp who had preferred Roberto Firmino as his main striker.
Having already tried and failed at Chelsea and Manchester City, options are running out for Sturridge at the top level in the Premier League.
In turn, Wright has offered a different solution, one that he believes could benefit the striker and allow him a fresh start to try and rediscover his best form.
“He should go somewhere else to revitalise himself. I’m not sure if that will happen in this country. He’s been at all the top teams but Arsenal,” Wright told The Sun Football Podcast.
“You look at it and think somewhere like PSG that he might look at. I think he is fantastic. He is a super player. It isn’t going to happen for him at Liverpool.”
Whether or not that’s something that appeals to Sturridge remains to be seen, but as his frustration continues to build at Anfield, it’s becoming more and more likely that he’ll have to move on in order to display his talents on a regular basis, providing that he can stay healthy.
Sturridge’s double against Southampton on Dec 2 last season was immediately followed by an injury which ruled him out until Valentine’s Day. This is the recurring theme of his Liverpool career, the untimely strains as frequent as goals.
Now, more than at any time since Sturridge moved to Liverpool from Chelsea four years ago, he has reached a junction.
Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers decided 18 months ago he had no choice but to build a team independent of Sturridge and consider his availability a bonus.
Klopp’s swift insight into that injury history forced him down the same path, which has ensured even when the striker returned he has not been guaranteed a starting place in an evolving team.
He has become the back-up plan, on the bench while Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutino formed one of the most exciting attacking trios in the Premier League. Mane’s Africa Cup of Nations duty offers Sturridge the chance to leave an imprint on what could be a glorious Kop campaign.
But the feeling is also growing that this could be the 27-year-old’s final season on Merseyside as whatever frustrations have grown with his injuries at critical times have been matched by his disappointment at being left out when fit.