Liverpool confirmed the departures of both Martin Skrtel and Jordon Ibe on Thursday as the pair completed respective moves to Fenerbahce and Bournemouth.

Skrtel ended his eight-and-a-half year career on Merseyside by inking a contract to finalise his £5.5 million switch to Turkey having arrived in Istanbul a couple of days earlier to complete his medical.

The centre-back made 320 appearances for the club since joining from Zenit Saint Petersburg in January 2008 for around £6.5 million, scoring 18 goals. 

Long-serving Skrtel leaves for Turkish giants 

But he has found himself surplus to requirements since Jürgen Klopp's appointment last October, starting just four league games since going off injured in a defeat to Watford last December.

The 31-year-old, who captained Slovakia throughout their Euro 2016 campaign, fell behind Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho while Joel Matip's arrival - and the lack of European football at Anfield - meant he was unlikely to get much game time next season.

Skrtel undergoing his Fenerbahce medical on Tuesday. (Picture: Getty Images)
Skrtel undergoing his Fenerbahce medical on Tuesday. (Picture: Getty Images)

As such, Skrtel has unsurprisingly ended his stay with the club, having only been named the club's Player of the Year back in 2012 - the same season he scored one of his most important goals in a red shirt, in the final of the League Cup which Liverpool won on penalties against Cardiff City

He leaves the club with only five players - Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia, Pepe Reina and Robbie Fowler - having made more Premier League appearances than his 242 for the club. 

Ibe moves to Cherries for healthy profit

Elsewhere, Ibe completed his £15 million move to Eddie Howe's Bournemouth, only a year after signing a new five-year deal on Merseyside.

The 20-year-old winger, who made 58 appearances and scored four goals after breaking into the first-team in January 2015, put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal to move to the South Coast.

Liverpool included a buy-back clause and a sell-on fee in the deal in order to ensure they are protected if Ibe thrives at his new club.

Ibe said his farewells on Tuesday ahead of the move, which makes him Bournemouth's most expensive ever signing as they prepare for their just their second ever Premier League season in 2016-17.

He joined the club from Wycombe Wanderers five years ago for around £500,000 only a few months after he made his Football League debut at the age of 15, and made his debut aged 17 for Liverpool on the final day of the 2012-13 season.

Ibe in action for Liverpool away at Bournemouth back in April. (Picture: Getty Images)
Ibe in action for Liverpool away at Bournemouth back in April. (Picture: Getty Images)

But having enjoyed loan spells at Birmingham City and Derby County, Ibe failed to live up to expectation last term, starting just 15 of the Reds' 63 games across all competitions, although he scored his first goal for the club back in November as well as his first Premier League goal on the final day of the season.

Wycombe also issued a statement on their club website explaining that they are "in the process of determining the financial implications" as a result of the sell-on clause they inserted in the 2011 deal that saw Ibe switch Adams Park for Anfield.

Promising young forward Canos also leaves Reds

The exits of Skrtel and Ibe came just one day after Sergi Canos sealed his switch to Norwich City, a deal which sees Liverpool bank an initial £2.5 million fee with a further £2 million included in add-ons.

The add-ons for the former Barcelona youngster are thought to centre around the number of appearances Canos makes for the Championship outfit.

Buy-back and sell-on clauses are also said to have been inserted into the deal for the Spanish winger, who rejected a new contract at the club as he entered the final year of his existing deal.

Canos pictured with a Norwich shirt shortly after confirming his move to the club. (Picture: Getty Images)
Canos pictured with a Norwich shirt shortly after confirming his move to the club. (Picture: Getty Images)

He was reported to have wanted £10,000-a-week wages to stay at Liverpool, who offered only £3,000 to keep him on par with their other Academy graduates.

The 19-year-old, who inked a four-year contract at Norwich, also had offers from the likes of Bristol City, ReadingQueens Park Rangers, Fulham and Brentford, where he spent last season on loan and scored seven goals in 38 appearances.

Canos had only joined Liverpool from Barcelona's La Masia Academy in 2013, making his first and only senior appearance against West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the 2015-16 campaign, coming off the bench and calling it "the best 10 minutes of my life" the same day.

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.