Jurgen Klopp's decision to hand Georginio Wijnaldum the captain's armband for their Premier League clash with Burnley may have raised eyebrows among the Liverpool faithful.
Wijnaldum faces an uncertain future at the club, with former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman desperate to bring the Dutch midfielder to Barcelona this summer.
Mirror Sport revealed Wijnaldum's plans to snub Liverpool's last-ditch attempt to keep him at the club in favour of a move to Spain.
Indeed, Wijnaldum, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle in 2016, is ready to move to the Nou Camp on a free when his contract expires at the end of the season.
But despite the current stand-off with the reigning Premier League champions, Klopp opted to name Wijnaldum as his captain on Thursday night.
With skipper Jordan Henderson and deputy James Milner both absent from the starting line-up against the Clarets, it was the long-serving Dutchman who was handed the armband.
Wijnaldum and Mane were the longest-serving players in the line-up, with both joining in the summer of 2016, but ultimately it was the midfielder who was given the nod.
Indeed, Klopp could have also opted for Andy Robertson, who captains the Scotland national team, but decided to reward Wijnaldum for his commitment to the club in recent years.
The German boss often prefers to show loyalty to his long-serving players and he did just that with Wijnaldum, despite the uncertainty surrounding his long-term future in England.
This week, Wijnaldum put pressure on Liverpool to update the world on his situation amid the contract stand-off at Anfield.
Wijnaldum was recently asked whether there is an update on his current situation at Liverpool, and responded on Sky Sports: "No. There is no update yet.
"I also think I am not the one who should give the update, the club should. If there will be an update the club will give it."
During his four-and-a-half years at the club, the 30-year-old has played a starring role and helped Klopp's men secure Champions League and Premier League title success.
But it seems to lure of playing for Barcelona may well end his stint at Anfield at the end of the season.
