Liverpool
Liverpool move for Upamecano “absolutely impossible”
Transfer window specialist Fabrizio Romano has ruled out the possibility of Liverpool signing RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano in the current January transfer window. Upamecano joined Die Roten Bullen in the January window of 2017 from RB Salzburg. He has since become one of the world’s most sought after youngsters, garnering plenty of attention for his performances in last season’s Champions League campaign as his side reached the semi-finals. Upamecano competes with Thomas Muller for the ball The Frenchman has been strongly linked with a move away from the Red Bull Arena, with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United among many rumoured to be interested in the centre-back. Meanwhile, Liverpool have been in the hunt for a central defender following this season’s injury crisis. Virgil...
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho expects Aston Villa match to go ahead
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho expects their Premier League fixture against Aston Villa to be played. The match is understood to be in doubt after an outbreak of coronavirus at the Midlands club. Villa played their FA Cup game with Liverpool on Friday night with a youth team, losing 4-1. It is understood that Spurs are yet to hear anything from the Premier League regarding the fixture, so Mourinho will begin preparations on Monday. He may have been making more of a point about the lack of information from the league, but asked after Sunday’s 5-0 win at Marine when he expects his side to next play, Mourinho said: “Wednesday.” Asked again whether he thinks the Villa game will go ahead, he replied: “Yeah. Nobody told me that I’m not going to play so (on Monday morning) we start to prepare for t...
6 FA Cup games to watch this weekend
The third round of the FA Cup is upon us, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited. The big boys have entered the pot, giving us some tasty fixtures and several potential upsets. Here are some games that might be worth keeping an eye out for this weekend. Aston Villa vs Liverpool (Friday, January 8, 19:45) Villa hoping to upset the odds against Liverpool Aston Villa welcome champions Liverpool to Villa Park on Friday night, in one of three all-Premier League ties. On the surface, the visitors will seem like the favourites. However, Jurgen Klopp’s men aren’t in the greatest form right now, picking up just two points from their last three outings. Furthermore, the Reds have lost their last two visits to Villa Park by an aggregate score of 12-2. Although, in fairness, they were playing t...
Alisson’s agent reveals he nearly joined Real Madrid
Fabrizio De Vecchi, agent of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, has revealed to AS that he almost moved to Real Madrid. In 2018, Alisson came to Liverpool, replacing the highly questionable Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius. Within two seasons, the Brazilian stopper won the Champions League and the Premier League with the Reds. Alisson has enjoyed some incredible times at Liverpool Alisson is one of the main men credited with turning Liverpool’s fortunes around, and elevating them to the next level needed to win major honours. But things could have turned out so differently had he instead made the move to Madrid. Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, De Vecchi claimed that his client almost went to the Bernabeu in 2018 before his transfer to Jurgen Klopp’s side. “It will seem strange, but I have ...
Manchester United winger tests positive for coronavirus ahead of FA Cup clash with Watford
Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri has tested positive for Covid-19, ruling him out of making his senior debut against Watford on Saturday. The 19-year-old, who signed in the summer transfer window, has not been displaying symptoms but returned a positive test, his agency confirmed. He must now follow the Government guidelines and isolate for 10 days. “I think we’ve done well to follow the protocols as we have, we’ve had the odd case and Facundo Pellistri got a positive, so he reported that on his Twitter, we don’t normally comment on who they are but Facundo is well and hopefully he’ll be back with us soon,” manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said at his pre-match press conference. “He’s been with the reserves and under-23s and he wasn’t really in our group over Christmas. Apart from th...
‘Certainly no chance’: James Pearce claims Liverpool star definitely won’t leave this month
Earlier this week, Todo Fichajes reported that Georginio Wijnaldum has already decided to quit Anfield and join Barcelona as a free agent this summer. The report claimed that Wijnaldum has turned down a new contract offer from Liverpool as it didn’t meet his expectations. However, according to James Pearce of The Athletic, Wijnaldum’s situation has remained unchanged. He hasn’t turned down a new deal, and Jurgen Klopp, the Reds boss, is hopeful that he can convince the former Newcastle United midfielder to stay at the club. The 30-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and he is free to hold talks with clubs abroad. Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is a keen admirer of the player and wanted to sign him during the summer. The Catalan giants didn’t have th...
Premier League Player of the Month nominees for December announced
The shortlist for the Premier League Player of the Month award for December has been revealed. Manchester United and Aston Villa are the two most heavily represented clubs, boasting two nominees each. This is unsurprising, as both sides went unbeaten in the league during December. Manchester City, Liverpool, West Ham United, and Burnley are also represented in the shortlist. The winner will be revealed on Friday 15th January. Bruno Fernandes Fernandes is nominated for his fourth POTM award The Portuguese playmaker is almost beginning to form a monopoly on the Player of the Month award, having already won it three times in 2020. In December, Bruno Fernandes scored three goals and registered a further four assists. He was influential in Man Utd’s dismantling of Leeds United, and dragged the ...
‘Makes no sense’, ‘frustrating’: Many Liverpool fans react to what Klopp has just said
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said yesterday that the Reds are ‘unlikely’ to sign a new defender in the January transfer window. Popular football pundit Jamie Carragher said last week that Liverpool could struggle to retain their Premiership title if they fail to sign a new centre-back. Klopp: “This club will always be very responsible with the things we do. If the world was in a normal place and then 3 senior CBs got injured, is that a situation when you would do something? Yes, usually. But it’s not.” — James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) January 7, 2021 Both Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are long term absentees, while Joel Matip is injury prone, and currently out injured. Fabinho, a natural central defensive midfielder, has played as a makeshift centre-back this season, while...
‘Yes, soon’: Klopp reveals Liverpool man is about to return from injury
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp revealed yesterday at his press conference that midfielder Naby Keita is close to returning to full fitness. The 25-year-old is a highly-rated midfielder but his career at Liverpool has been blighted by injuries. This season, he has struggled to keep himself away from injuries and hasn’t played since Liverpool’s 7-0 win against Crystal Palace. However, it seems that Keita is close to a return, and will be available for selection at some point this month. Nevertheless, the game against Aston Villa has come too soon for him. When asked whether the No.8 was close to a return, Klopp said to Liverpool official website: “Yes, soon, but not for the Villa game.” SL View: Top player but too injury prone Keita is a very good midfielder and he brings a different qual...
Report: Liverpool plotting to sign £40m Leeds target with Bielsa in two minds
According to The Sun, Liverpool have registered an interest in Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul as they look to further bolster their squad going forward. The Argentina international has been on Leeds United’s radar since last summer, but his £40 million price tag put them off. Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa is in two minds as to whether to return with a bid for De Paul this month or wait until next summer. The 26-year-old isn’t short of suitors and is also wanted by Inter Milan, and Leeds will have to move quickly to have a chance of landing him. Liverpool have also made their interest known, and Bielsa’s side could be forced to accelerate their plans and try to buy the midfielder before the end of the January transfer window. Leeds turned their attention towards French midfielder Mic...
Report: What sources close to £22m ace now think after Liverpool made contact in Nov
Jamie Carragher suggested last week that Liverpool could struggle to retain their Premiership title if they don’t sign a centre-back in January. However, the club senior figures – who are responsible for transfer dealings – aren’t interested in taking short-term measures. The Reds would rather stick to the philosophy that earned them so much success in recruitment in recent years, and wait for the right player at the right price. According to reports from the Athletic, Liverpool reached out for Ozan Kabak in November. The club made contact with intermediaries representing the Schalke defender. Surprisingly, after those initial talks, Liverpool didn’t show enough interest and finally opted not to pursue a deal for the Turkish defender. He is valued at around £22 million (€25m) whi...
‘Ready made Gini replacement’ – Some LFC fans react to the club’s offer to 28-yr-old
Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Bayern Munich defender David Alaba. The Austrian international will be a free agent at the end of this season and he is now free to speak with prospective new clubs regarding a summer transfer. According to Italian journalist Romeo Agresti, the Premier League champions have now offered David Alaba a contract worth £9 million a season. The Reds are competing with Spanish giants Real Madrid for the 28-year-old defender’s signature and it will be interesting to see if they can fend off the competition and secure his services in the summer. David Alaba is a world-class player who would be a superb addition to the Liverpool team and the transfer will be a major coup if Liverpool manage to pull it off. The Austrian can play as a defensive midfielder...
