Liverpool releases Kolo Toure

Liverpool left Kolo Toure from its retained list submitted to the Premier League on Friday.

The Ivorian defender's contract is up at Anfield at the end of June, and manager Jurgen Klopp will not be offering the 35-year-old an extension, despite his wishes to stay.

"Of course I want to stay," Toure said after last month's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla. "It's a great club to play in, but the manager has his plan and any decision I will respect. He is a top manager and he knows what he is doing."

Toure joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2013 and made 71 appearances for the club. He came to the Premier League in a move to Arsenal in 2002, and stayed at the north London side for seven years before transferring to Manchester City, where he reunited with brother Yaya Toure a year later.