We round up the latest Liverpool news and transfer rumours on Monday, on the eve of the Reds’ Champions League clash with Red Star Belgrade.
Today’s Main Headlines
- Liverpool confirm 21-man squad travelling to Red Star
Xherdan Shaqiri left, duo return to squad.
- View from Belgrade: The city, the stadium & Red Star’s form
All you need to know ahead of Tuesday’s clash.
- Liverpool’s last time in Belgrade: Red Star show Reds the future
An ego-bruising night for Bill Shankly‘s men 45 years ago.
- Man City’s unprecedented form has skewed perceptions of Liverpool’s Premier League start
Are the Reds receiving enough credit for such a great start?
- Liverpool FC Loan Watch
Ben Woodburn returns to action in positive weekend for young Reds.
Several Reds Among Europe’s Most Valuable
The CIES Football Observatory have given their latest valuations of players in Europe’s top five leagues, making for interesting reading from a Liverpool perspective.
Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s enormous potential is highlighted by the fact that he is the highest-valued full-back, at £84.3 million.
Andy Robertson‘s meteoric rise sees him rated third (£60.2m), behind Man City‘s Kyle Walker (£77.2m).
Elsewhere, Virgil van Dijk (£70.1m) and Joe Gomez (£67.9m) are the fourth and sixth most valuable centre-backs respectively, while midfield trio Fabinho (£71.9m), Naby Keita (£65.5m) and Gini Wijnaldum (£64m) sit pretty in the midfield rankings.
Mohamed Salah (£151.3m) is fourth among forwards and is Liverpool’s most highly-rated individual, with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe (£189.3m) top of the pile.
You can read the full list here.
Klopp Hails Milner’s Longevity
Jurgen Klopp has likened James Milner to a fine wine after his goalscoring performance at Arsenal on Saturday.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, the boss said: “I like the idea that we write a story about James Milner after the game. Millie is like wine—a very good red one.”
Klopp is alluding to Milner’s evergreen presence, with the 32-year-old arguably as good as he has ever been during a stellar career.
He has been a superb signing by Liverpool, with his influence in the middle of the park growing, having seemingly been brought in as a squad player in 2015.
Muniain Set For New Athletic Deal
According to Marca, via Sport Witness, Iker Muniain is on the cusp of signing a new deal with Athletic Club.
The Spaniard has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the last week, but it appears as though he will remain with his boyhood club in Bilbao.
The report also states that the Reds’ interest was never particularly concrete, with Napoli showing more intrigue.
Muniain would have been a risky buy, with a continued lack of substance to his game still holding him back at the age of 25.
Young Pair Called Up By Wales
Harry Wilson and Ben Woodburn have been named in Ryan Giggs’ Wales squad for their upcoming meetings with Denmark and Albania.
The pair have encountered differing fortunes on loan at Derby County and Sheffield United this season, having made the temporary switches in the summer.
Wilson has caught the eye with a string of stunning goals, including a couple of free-kicks, as the Rams push for promotion to the Premier League.
Woodburn has struggled for regular football in a Blades side third in the Championship, however, making just two starts in all competitions and even playing for Liverpool’s U23s in a bid to retain match sharpness.
The Denmark game is a UEFA Nations League clash on November 16, before the trip to Albania for a friendly four days later.
Let’s hope both feature prominently.
The Positive Statistic Fans Shouldn’t Ignore
There was frustration in some quarters after Liverpool drew 1-1 at Arsenal – a result that is usually seen as more than adequate.
Man City‘s unplayable form is masking how well the Reds are doing, however, as analyst Andrew Beasley highlights in his Liverpool Echo column.
Klopp’s men have acquired 27 points from their opening 11 matches, with the average by eventual Premier League champions at this stage of the season 25.5.
It may be disheartening to see City churning out victory after victory, making them odds-on favourites to win the title, but Liverpool are doing superbly in their own right.
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