Liverpool Release Kolo Toure

 

Liverpool have officially confirmed the departure of defender Kolo Toure after publishing the list of the club's retained players. The 35years old Ivory Coast international is the highest-profile name to leave Anfield this summer after his contract expired.

The Reds chose not to offer Toure a new deal despite him finishing the season as first-choice centre-back alongside Dejan Lovren and impressing in Liverpool's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla. There was a point in the last month when there appeared to be a chance Toure could be given a new short-term contract with the future of Mamadou Sakho unclear after his failed drugs test. However, the France international's initial 30-day suspension has not been extended as UEFA investigates whether or not the fat burning substance found in his sample should even be on its banned list.

With that in mind, and the fact Joel Matip is arriving from Schalke on a free transfer and the 19years old Joe Gomez is returning to fitness after a cruciate knee ligament operation, the decision has been made to let Toure go.

Liverpool had considered offering Toure a coaching role but the defender is keen to extend his playing career as long as possible and could now get a lucrative deal as a free agent