Liverpool’s summer plans are in the news today, both in and out the club, as well as some fighting talk from the squad as we prepare for matches again.
Lallana set for Brendan reunion
Adam Lallana is out of contract this summer and likely to depart, though the expectation is still that a short-term agreement will see him see out the final days of 19/20 with the squad.
Thereafter, he’ll have his choice of Premier League teams to join who will hope to use his experience and technical ability in a productive way, particularly if he can avoid the injuries he has suffered at Anfield over the past couple of years.
Leicester are one of the teams most closely linked and are apparently ready to make their move.
The Mirror report Brendan Rodgers is hoping to get the go-ahead to offer “a lucrative deal of at least two years” to Lallana, ensuring they link up for a second time after he originally signed the former Saints man for Liverpool.
Burnley, Arsenal and a few other Premier League sides have also been suggested as keen to land him.
Transfer trails and new deal prospects
By now we all know that the Timo Werner saga is over, just not in the way most people expected. Liverpool have their eyes on other prizes though, particularly with a mind to securing the long-term future of the team at the top.
Firstly, the Reds are monitoring Jadon Sancho’s position at Borussia Dortmund and could well get involved in the bidding—but it would be next year.
Manchester United want him this summer, of course, but there’s a lot to sort before any kind of a deal is concluded either way, not the least of which is whether they finish in a Champions League spot or not—and even that is complicated to guess at right now.
In the more immediate term, the Reds want to focus on offering extensions to those who have shown they warrant it most.
That starts with the spine of the team and two key components: Alisson and Virgil van Dijk.
Both have a while yet to run, but the club wants to ensure they have long stays at Anfield while at the heights of their powers, which should last a while yet.
We have trophies to win
The much, much bigger prize right now is not a new Timo Werner shirt, but the actual Premier League trophy. The Reds have a job to do, now…and maybe next year, too.
- Trent says the squad isn’t training “just to cross the line” but to go out and pick up where they left off, beating everyone in sight
- Fellow defender Dejan Lovren has praised those who have rebuilt the club, as well as discussing not being in the team and using his profile to speak up about social issues
- And, looking beyond these next nine games, we now have a potentially clear roadmap of how the Reds will rest this summer and prepare to defend their crown in 20/21 after the new season’s start date was agreed
Quickfire LFC news
- Super Trent has made yet another fan’s day by offering a signed shirt to a youngster with health issues (Twitter)
- The Reds will face Crystal Palace at Anfield to potentially win the title, though the location for the derby is still unknown (Guardian)
- Klopp says success hasn’t changed the close relationship and the discipline inside the squad (LFC)
- And Liverpool FC Women have been relegated after the WSL season was ended early (TIA)
Around the Prem
- Chelsea want Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell for £80m, suggesting United did not exclusively give the Foxes that amount purely for a large forehead (Mirror)
- United will offer young left-back Brandon Williams a new deal, which should be about a million a week given the £250k-a-week shelled out for Dalot and Shaw currently (Athletic)
- Gareth Bale doesn’t want a return to the Premier League says his agent, so that shatters Everton‘s otherwise-solid dreams of signing him and Aaron Ramsey (BBC Sport)
- And Carra reckons Spurs are the ‘lockdown winners’ after getting key men back from injury in the Champions League race. Now they just have to actually attack… (Telegraph)
Stupid fans of the day
Three months without any football and what do Benfica fans do on the first game back?
Gather outside the stadium, then attack the team bus—sending two players to hospital.
Tweet of the day
Haircuts had to happen eventually!
? @Alissonbecker with a fresh trim! ?? pic.twitter.com/v1BaGpSOqE
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 5, 2020
What we’re reading
An interview with former striker Sean Dundee, who regrets not working harder to make use of his time at Liverpool, on Planet Football.
And a great chat with Ruud Gullit about him joining Chelsea and the Premier League 25 years ago, at the peak of his powers just as the league was taking off, on BBC Sport.
Worth watching tonight
More beautiful Bundesliga. Freiburg v ‘Gladbach, where you should keep an eye on Robin Koch for the home side and Marcus Thuram for the away. 7:30pm, BT Sport.
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