One of the best left-backs in Liverpool’s history on the brink of a move to north London

It looks like the time has come to say goodbye. It was wonderful and fruitful, lasting eight and a half years, but Andy Robertson is set to leave Anfield six months before the expiration of a contract that likely would not have been extended anyway.

The bombshell of the day in England is that Tottenham and Liverpool are negotiating the terms of a transfer for the experienced Scottish midfielder who helped write some of the finest chapters of the club’s modern history, crowned by two Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy.

Arne Slot no longer saw Robertson as capable of playing the football that once made him one of the best left-backs on the planet. Since the start of the season, he has relied on 45 million euros signing Milos Kerkez as his first choice, and over time the question of Andy’s departure from Anfield became inevitable.

Although Andy reiterated as recently as January that he wanted to stay at the club, The Athletic reported that talks between the clubs are ongoing, while German journalist Florian Plettenberg even claimed that a verbal agreement has been reached.

“I have five months left on my contract and I need to see what the options are — whether to stay or if there’s a chance to leave. I have to sit down with my family and decide. After a stressful summer, I’m trying to enjoy being a Liverpool player,” Andy said.

Robertson, who was wanted by Atletico Madrid last summer, had been a Tottenham target for the upcoming summer, but circumstances in north London have changed. Thomas Frank’s team is struggling badly in the Premier League, performing unexpectedly well in the Champions League, but everyone at the new White Hart Lane has realised that such an experienced player, capable of making an immediate impact, is needed already this winter.

Still, Tottenham’s urgency and impatience don’t seem entirely logical, considering that 19-year-old left-back Souza was recently signed from Santos for 15 million euros to serve as cover while Destiny Udogie recovers as the first-choice option, while Djed Spence has filled in as a right-back alternative when needed. Robertson is a player who can bring order and stability, but not someone who can turn a poor season around by 180 degrees.

The bond between Liverpool and Robertson, built since the summer of 2017, is extremely strong, and both sides are expected to act with great respect and a desire to find common ground. The Scot would not leave the club in the lurch if he were truly needed, nor would Liverpool refuse to listen to offers for a player who has given them so much, especially after playing less than 500 Premier League minutes this season.

Liverpool, who are not expected to make any signings this winter, could recall Kostas Tsimikas from his loan spell at Roma should Robertson depart.