We round up all the latest Liverpool news and transfer rumours, as the Reds get their training sessions underway on their US tour.
Today’s Main Headlines
- How Klopp is changing Academy – on and off the pitch
The manager’s influence extends far and wide.
- The lowdown on all three opponents on US Tour
The Reds face Dortmund, Sevilla and Sporting.
- New rumours indicate Reds’ approach to tricky GK situation
Mignolet talk in the papers once more.
- Perfect attitude from Matip as battle begins again
Is centre-back the most up-for-grabs spot in the team?
- How the pre-season tour could dictate short-term future of two defenders
Contrasting seasons ahead perhaps but the same long-term goal.
Sadio to Real resurfaces in Spain
Spanish media are still struggling with the concept that Real Madrid aren’t the most desirable transfer destination on the planet at present, so let’s help them out: the latest reports of Sadio Mane “approaching” a move to La Liga’s not-quite-finest is ridiculous.
Diario Gol suggest Mane is the top pick for Zinedine Zidane, given that Kylian Mbappe’s transfer this summer would be “impossible.”
Eden Hazard, newly signed for the Bernabeu club, has called Mane “one of the best” and the outlet suggests it’s part of Madrid’s ploy to ruffle some Senegalese feathers, unsettling the Reds’ No. 10.
Right before the Africa Cup of Nations final that he’s playing in, no less, which seems less-than-sensitive.
Florentino Perez has a big job on, they say, as the Reds want €160 million for Mane, a Ballon d’Or contender.
No suggestion of what figure they’ll pay for his right boot as yet, then.
Millar tipped for Scotland return
Onto rather more plausible outgoing dealings, and Liam Millar is being suggested as a target for Kilmarnock in Scotland—where he spent part of last season on loan.
The Killie manager Angelo Alessio has yet to give his approval on the move, but Millar impressed as an impact sub last term and the Reds want him to get more senior action this season.
Millar featured for Liverpool against Bradford at the weekend, replacing injured Paul Glatzel in the Reds’ ‘second-half team’.
A Canadian international, he has six senior caps thus far and the 19-year-old played 14 times on loan in 18/19.
Liverpool’s destruction of Bayern playing on Neuer’s mind
One of Liverpool’s key European fixtures last season was a 3-1 win at the Allianz Arena over Bayern Munich; from that moment on, the Reds gained respect and momentum en route to winning the Champions League.
The memory of Sadio Mane bamboozling Manuel Neuer to open the scoring, controlling on the turn and firing home from the edge of the box, will live long in the memory.
Including for the German goalkeeper, it seems.
Speaking to ESPN, Neuer said it was most unlike his team to create so little against an opponent and acknowledged the Reds were the superior side.
“I think about both matches because I think in two matches we get maybe three chances for us and it is not Bayern Munich like.
“We have to say that Liverpool was…the better team and so we have to move on because they were better.
“Next season we are so motivated to go on in the Champions League and to go to the final and win it again. But it will be very hard and strong, we know it but we have our goals as well.”
What a performance that was in the second leg!
Chapters closing on tiresome rumours
Very soon, Liverpool fans might be able to tick off a few annoying, recycled rumours which continually link the Reds to certain names—despite little evidence of interest.
Dani Ceballos is close to a loan move to Arsenal from Real Madrid, potentially ending about three years’ worth of rumours involving a move to Anfield.
And, also in Spain, Junior Firpo looks set to be Barcelona’s left-back of choice, having been linked on and off with the Reds for months since it became apparent Alberto Moreno would depart.
With interest from elsewhere seemingly resulting in upcoming bids for Nicolas Pepe, we’re now just waiting for a few more players to sign elsewhere and prove there was never interest from Klopp and Co.
Namely Fekir, Coutinho, Ziyech, Chalov, Fernandes, Olmo…
Reds release video of shooting training session
And finally, a video from prior to the squad jetting off to the US has been produced by LFCTV, with the Reds in training at Melwood.
The weekend returns of Virgil van Dijk, Gini Wijnaldum, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Andy Robertson was covered, before the team got out on the pitch.
Lactate tests, running and more running followed for that quintet, with Gini looking particularly impressive.
On the shooting side there are plenty of sharp finishes to admire—and a lovely dummy to round the ‘keeper from Ryan Kent.
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