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It’s been assumed for some time now that, come the end of the season and the end of Glen Johnson’s current deal, the right back will be leaving Anfield on a free. Johnson arrived at Liverpool in 2009 as one of the best attacking fullbacks in the game, but some combination of injury struggles and ageing legs have seen the 30-year-old off the pace for the past few seasons.
As a result, when it became clear Johnson was looking for a new deal at the same pay rate as his current, £100k a week contract and over multiple seasons, it became clear his days in Red were numbered. That was the situation heading into last summer, and nothing that’s been seen from Johnson this season—either on the injury or form front—will have done anything to change the mind of anybody at the club.
"There’s no update," confirmed Johnson following Sunday’s draw with Blackburn when he was asked about his contract situation. "There have been no new talks. At this point I have no idea where I’ll be next season, [and] I haven’t really thought about it. I’ve got two months left here and then we’ll see what happens after that, so for now I’m just going to keep my head down and keep training."
Johnson was linked with a move to Italy last summer, with Roma often considered frontrunners for his services. Since then, there’s been little solid about where he might end up, though a reunion in Serie A with fellow former England international fullback Ashley Cole in the less frantic Serie A remains an interesting possibility, and in general Johnson does like the idea of spending some time playing abroad.
"I do like the idea of going abroad," he said. "I’m still young and it would be great for the kids. But I’m not thinking about it at the moment and we’ll have to wait and see."
