Liverpool Transfer News: Juventus Offer Platform for Glen Johnson's Winter Exit

The conundrum of what to do with Glen Johnson has been one on Liverpool minds for some time now, and it appears this January might provide a solution in the longstanding dilemma.

Juventus will reportedly make a move for the defender when the winter transfer window opens. Michael Butler of The Guardian writes that Brendan Rodgers is eager to move his £110,000-a-week deal from the wage books.

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It's an acceptable sacrifice in the wake of Javier Manquillo's arrival at the club, the Spaniard having played the full 90 minutes in two of the Reds' first three games of the Premier League campaign.

In the Spaniard, Rodgers has found a right-back option who, for the next two seasons of his loan at least, will provide senior reinforcement in that area, something that has eluded the club for some time.

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And it's another La Liga acquisition, Alberto Moreno, who has eased the burden on the other side of defence, showing in a goalscoring display against Tottenham exactly what he can bring to the Liverpool cause.

Despite holding a reputation as not the most rounded of defenders, Johnson is adored by his manager, it seems, despite Butler's claims to the contrary. In March of this year, Rodgers told the official Liverpool website (h/t Liverpool Echo):

"

We want to keep Glen here. There is no question about that, especially now he’s in this form. He’s 29 and we feel that he has still got good years ahead of him. No contracts will be looked at until the summer but his will be a priority for us, especially if he continues in the form that he’s in.

The beauty of this is we want to keep Glen and Glen loves it here. We just need to find a solution which is good for both. If we can do that then the club will have a very good player for years to come.

"

As things stand, Johnson's deal is set to expire at the end of the 2014-15 season, and January represents Liverpool's last opportunity to command a fee unless a new deal is penned.

However, Johnson's salary is no small matter in such instances, and despite Rodgers hinting that he's worth the expense, at 30 years of age, there would be little sense in extending the agreement on current terms.

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This is all the more prevalent now that Manquillo is settling in. The Atletico Madrid loanee is averaging 11 defensive actions and winning 64 percent of all duels in his early days as a Red, per Squawka.

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo claims a free transfer in 2015 is looking all the more likely. But with Juve seemingly reverting to a 4-4-2 under Massimiliano Allegri, the Merseysiders should be striving to offload his talent at the next possible juncture:

Jose Enrique has also fallen through the Liverpool ranks in the past year or so but can offer good competition to Moreno, while a fit Jon Flanagan can pose a threat at right-back, the side full of young and promising options in those areas.

In that formula, Johnson is something of an anomaly, and his average of just five defensive actions per game last season, per Squawka, shows just where his shortcomings lie. That total was even less than Aly Cissokho managed during a forgettable loan spell at Anfield.

Serie A might yet prove a more accommodating setting for Johnson, but an issue is that the Italian champions may not be willing to entertain a wage packet even close to Johnson's current deal.

It's a difficult decision for Liverpool to make midseason, weighing the financial benefits against what it could cost them if cover in the position was found to be short later on this season.

All things considered, however, the Reds are now in a position where they can afford to sell, even if it means bringing in a more cost-effective option as replacement.