Liverpool forward Liam Millar has completed his £1.3 million (€1.5m/$2m) switch to Basel.
The Reds agreed a fee with the Swiss outfit earlier this week, having rejected their initial offer, with the 21-year-old ending his five-year stay on Merseyside.
Millar, a full Canadian international who made one senior appearance at Anfield, completed a medical in Basel on Tuesday and has signed a four-year contract having been released from the Canada squad for the forthcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup.
What’s the story?
Millar joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2016, and was a regular in the club’s U18 and U23 sides over the next few years.
He had two loan spells with Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League and spent the second half of last season with Charlton in League One, scoring twice in 27 appearances for the Addicks, who narrowly missed out on the play-offs.
In addition to the £1.3m fee, which will consist of around £800,000 up front and the rest payable in performance-related add-ons, Goal understands Liverpool have negotiated a 20 per cent sell-on clause with Basel, with negotiations led by the Swiss club’s new majority shareholder David Degen, the twin brother of former Reds defender Philipp.
Millar had interest from elsewhere, notably Championship side Blackpool, Odense in Denmark and MLS outfit New York Red Bulls. Charlton, too, were keen to take him back to The Valley if possible.
It is Basel, though, who have won the race, with the chance to play European football, as well as compete for top-flight honours, appealing to the pacy front-man.
What's been said?
Speaking after finalising his move, Millar told Basel's official website: “I'm really looking forward to the challenge here in Basel. FCB is a large and internationally known club and you can feel that immediately when you step into the stadium.
"My strengths on the pitch are my speed, I like to go into offensive one-on-one situations and try to create as many chances as possible for my team."
Basel coach Philipp Kaufmann added: "Liam is a mentality player who is not afraid to work defensively and to help the team without the ball. He brings an unpredictable and varied element to our wing play and will thus optimally complement our offense."
Will there be more sales to come at Liverpool?
Millar’s departure is likely to be the first of several at Anfield this summer.
Liverpool have already allowed Sepp van den Berg to join Preston on a season-long loan, Kamil Grabara has signed for FC Copenhagen and plans are in place to offload a number of other fringe and younger players.
Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri, Neco Williams and Nat Phillips would all be sold for the right price, while Harry Wilson, Marko Grujic and Loris Karius are all expected to depart on a permanent basis.
Takumi Minamino’s future is unclear, and offers will be heard for Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi. Rhys Williams, Leighton Clarkson and Jake Cain could be loaned out, and Ben Woodburn is likely
to move on in search of regular football.
Further reading
- Liverpool coach sees 'world-class' potential in Konate
- How Liverpool could line-up in 2021-22
- Liverpool-linked Baumgartner reaffirms future with Hoffenheim
