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We've reached that awkward time in the transfer window, where the new season has started and those who haven't found a starting place suddenly have a few short weeks in which to figure out where their future lies. Do they stay and fight for a spot in Brendan Rodgers' starting eleven? Or do they move on to another club where hopefully they will find a fan in a new manager?
Mamadou Sakho is one such player, and Lucas Leiva is definitely on the hot seat at the moment, but quietly taking up a third spot in this line-up of players with uncertain futures is Alberto Moreno. Purchased only last year after a long and hard negotiation, the left back with attacking flair found himself behind young Joe Gomez, a centre back by trade, in Rodgers' depth chart at the weekend, prompting questions about the Spaniard's future on Merseyside.
"There are doubts about Moreno's defensive qualities and that's why he was overlooked in pre-season and again at Stoke," confirmed James Pearce, Liverpool's resident mouthpiece at the Liverpool Echo. "I think much hinges on how he responds to losing his place to Joe Gomez. If he knuckles down and shows the stomach for a fight, I don't think Liverpool will sell him in this window.
"But if he sulks and the right offer arrives, he could be on his way. If Moreno did leave, Liverpool would have to look to secure some cover there, even if it was only a loan. Gomez has been great but he's a young kid and it's a big ask to expect him to hold down that role all season."
The Moreno transfer was a fairly long and drawn out affair last summer, with Liverpool somehow emerging from the fracas with both Moreno and a lower transfer fee than expected. The young left back shone brightly at various points in the season despite his defensive frailties, and it's more than a bit disappointing that Rodgers seems quick to cut his losses with a young player who still has a lot of potential for growth.
Still, there does seem to be a lifeline for Moreno if he wants to take it, and Jordan Henderson is proof enough that if you knuckle down and work hard enough, Brendan Rodgers is capable of getting over his dislike for you as a player to the point that you can still become a staple player in his side.
