We round up the latest Liverpool news and transfer rumours on Friday, on the eve of the Reds’ Premier League trip to Burnley.
Today’s Main Headlines
- Klopp insists Liverpool “really care” about young players
Important words amid the Duncan fallout.
- Klopp reassures Shaqiri of role with Liverpool
The boss is set to employ rotation.
- Brewster hits latest milestone in young career with England
Not long before a senior call-up?
- UEFA set to introduce away ticket price cap
Positive news in the Champions League & Europa League.
Shaq’s Bold Bid for a Reds Place
Speaking at his pre-Burnley press conference on Friday afternoon, Jurgen Klopp insisted that Xherdan Shaqiri remains in his plans, with rotation to come after the September international break.
“Is he the happiest player in the squad at the moment? I don’t think so. Can I see that on the training pitch? No,” the manager explained.
“He’s in a good mood, training hard, doing what he has to do and is ready for the moment when he has to help the team on the pitch.”
Shaqiri is yet to feature in a competitive game this season, but with Switzerland announcing their squad for next month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar, they confirmed he had withdrawn from selection.
The No. 23 has “decided to focus fully on his club,” with Shaqiri clearly aiming to make up for lost time with a major signal of intent for Liverpool.
Reds’ Latest Fixture Changes
When Liverpool and Man United meet the whole world takes notice, regardless of how both sides are faring in the Premier League.
Supporters will need to take note of the new date for the Reds’ trip to Old Trafford, which has now been rescheduled for Sunday, October 20 at 4.30pm (BST).
Meanwhile, the date for Liverpool’s League Cup third round meeting with MK Dons has also been confirmed.
Klopp’s men will head to Stadium MK on Wednesday, September 25 kicking off at 7.45pm, with Sky Sports showing the game live.
The match comes three days after a trip to Chelsea in the Premier League (Sept 22) and before another away game against Sheffield United (Sept 28).
Youngsters Receive England Call-Ups
Rhian Brewster earned his maiden call-up for England’s under-21s on Friday, but he isn’t the only youngster involved in Young Lions duty during the upcoming international break.
Reds under-23s captain Curtis Jones and loanee Rhys Williams have been named in England’s under-19s squad to face Greece (Sept 5) and Germany (Sept 9).
Forward Layton Stewart is involved for the under-18s and Harvey Elliott will hope to feature for the under-17s, along with full-back pair Jarell Quansah and James Norris.
It shouldn’t be long before Elliott is featuring for older age groups, having made an impressive start to his Liverpool career.
How Klopp Arranged Phillips’ Loan Move
Jurgen Klopp is famed for his man-management skills, but he went one step further when it came to Nat Phillips this summer.
The young defender has made a season-long loan move to VfB Stuttgart, but he was linked with a number of other clubs before heading to Germany.
Speaking to Bild, Phillips has brilliantly revealed how Klopp had a major influence on his move to Stuttgart, having not liked the other options:
“I told Jurgen Klopp about a few offers I had, Stuttgart was not one of them at that time.
“Jurgen was not enthusiastic about the options and I think he called [sporting director] Sven Mislintat shortly after our meeting.”
Once the deal was agreed, Phillips also said “he immediately wrote me a message on his phone: ‘Good club, great city, my birthplace, I wish you a great time.'”
It sums up the class of Klopp and the genuine care he has for players going out on loan—Liverpool couldn’t be in better hands.
Grujic Reiterates Plans for Reds Future
Marko Grujic is currently enjoying his second season on loan at Hertha Berlin, having seen it as an opportunity for more regular first-team football.
Although the 23-year-old has been tipped to leave Liverpool permanently, he still sees his long-term future at Anfield.
In an interview with Bild, Grujic outlined his plans for breaking into the Reds’ setup next season, remaining realistic at the same time:
“It’s my goal to play for Liverpool next season, a top European club.
“That’s possible if I play regularly and well here at Hertha. But you never know in life, maybe Liverpool want to sell me next year.
“If that’s the case, then I would love it if Hertha would pay the fee to sign me.”
Ojrzynski Receives International Clearance
Young goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski has been awaiting international clearance before being allowed to play for Liverpool.
Fortunately, was granted on Thursday, meaning the Polish teenager can now take to the field with his team-mates in the Reds’ under-18s.
Ojrzynski could even make his debut against United on Saturday morning, as Barry Lewtas‘ side host their bitter rivals at the academy in Kirkby (11am BST).
The exciting 16-year-old travelled with Liverpool on their tour of the United States in pre-season, with big things expected of him in the coming years.
Ojrzynski arrived from Legia Warsaw in the summer, choosing the Reds over United.
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