Andy Robertson has confirmed he will leave Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the season, bringing to an end a nine-year spell on Merseyside that produced trophies, records and one of the most unlikely success stories the Premier League has seen in recent decades.
The Scotland captain signed from Hull City for just £8 million in 2017 and became the first name on the teamsheet under Jurgen Klopp for years, accumulating 373 appearances and nine major honours including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Robertson broke the news publicly on Thursday evening, expressing relief that the information was now out in the open after weeks of managing it internally. “It’s never easy leaving a club like Liverpool, it has been a huge part of mine and my family’s life for the last nine years,” he said. “But for me, players move on, other people move on, the thing that stays the same is the club and obviously the fans.”
The 32-year-old has started just 15 times in the current campaign following the £40 million summer arrival of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth. That transition from regular starter to backup felt inevitable given the age gap and the quality of his replacement, but Robertson delayed the departure several times, most notably in January when Tottenham made an approach that ultimately went nowhere. Atletico Madrid had also expressed interest last summer before he chose to stay.
He sits second only to Trent Alexander-Arnold in the all-time list of Premier League assists among defenders, a statistic that underlines the attacking impact he generated consistently over most of his Liverpool tenure. His assists and crossing ability were central to Liverpool’s high-tempo, wide-pressing system under Klopp, and his performances in the 2018-19 Champions League campaign were among the finest by any left-back in the competition that decade.
The announcement follows Mohamed Salah’s confirmed departure by several weeks, meaning Liverpool will lose two first-choice starters from their title-winning squad of 2024-25 in a single transfer window. Ibrahima Konate is also out of contract, adding further structural uncertainty to a club that is already outside the top four and dealing with a 2-0 Champions League first-leg deficit against PSG.
Salah paid tribute to Robertson on social media shortly after the news broke, a small but meaningful exchange given the shared timeline of their careers in red. Both joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017, and both are now departing in the same window. Robertson avoided any direct comparison but acknowledged the journey had been remarkable. “I’m very proud that I’ve been a part of fantastic teams that have been able to do that,” he said.
His next destination remains undisclosed, though Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Juventus and Saudi clubs are all expected to register interest. At 32, he still has two or three viable seasons left as a starter at a major club, and the free agent status will attract competition. The question is whether he chases silverware in Spain or Italy, or accepts a financially dominant offer from the Gulf.
Liverpool’s rebuild this summer is shaping up to be extensive. The incoming Kerkez has shown enough to suggest the left-back position is covered for the long term, but the departure of Robertson removes experience and leadership at a moment when the club needs to stabilise quickly. Whatever the outcome of the PSG tie, Arne Slot faces a significant task of rebuilding trust and cohesion heading into 2026-27.
