Reds face Community Shield revamp & Thiago wants PL move – Liverpool FC Roundup

Liverpool are revelling in having won yet another three points and today’s headlines focus on the players’ performances, the potential for summer deals and a potential change in the curtain-raiser.

 

Changes ahead for Community Shield

Liverpool will be in the Community Shield once more to start the 2020/21 season…if it goes ahead at all.

There is still an element of uncertainty over dates for the start of next term, but if the Wembley fixture is played, Liverpool will be there as league champions.

Their opponent, however, may be changed. Usually, we’d play the FA Cup winners—fine if it’s Chelsea or Arsenal. But if either Manchester club wins the trophy and they reach their respective European finals, the dates could clash.

In that case, the Times reports that the Reds may instead face the Championship winners.

West Brom are currently top, two points ahead of Leeds, but the latter have a game in hand. Brentford are third, though likely too far off the pace now to take top spot.

The report also suggests that the FA may use the occasion to test-run getting fans back inside stadiums for games for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown.

 

Thiago keen on Premier League switch

MUNICH, GERMANY - Wednesday, December 11, 2019: Bayern Munich's Thiago Alca?ntara during the final UEFA Champions League Group B match between FC Bayern München and Tottenham Hotspur FC at the Allianz Arena. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

It seems that the Thiago talk has died down over the last day or two!

The Reds are still linked with the Bayern Munich midfielder, but those accounts suggesting contact had been made or that a deal was imminent have all gone extremely quiet.

James Pearce of the Athletic confirms that the Reds have had “no contact” with the Bundesliga club over a move and that it’s currently “unlikely” a deal will go ahead.

But Thiago does want a switch.

It’s further reported he is keen on moving to the Premier League and with just one year left on his contract, £30 million is the guide price to snare him.

 

Evidence of our success

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, December 29, 2019: Liverpool's Roberto Firmino and manager Jürgen Klopp shake hands during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

On and off the pitch, Liverpool are the undisputed team to mimic right now.

 

Quickfire LFC news

STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 9, 2017: Liverpool's goalkeeper Viteslav Jaros warms-up before an Under-18 FA Premier League match between Stoke City and Liverpool at the Clayton Wood Training Ground. (Pic by Laura Malkin/Propaganda)

  • Young goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros has signed a long-term contract extension with the Reds (TIA)
  • Alisson says Mo Salah is always “hungry” for goals and helps the team defensively too (LFC)
  • Former striker Stan Collymore reckons the perfect duo for the Reds to sign are Wolves pair Jimenez and Adama (Goal)
  • And Joe Gomez warns rivals that the Reds are far from the finished article and want to improve further (LFC)

 

Around the Prem

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Thursday, January 3, 2019: Manchester City's John Stones during the FA Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at the Etihad Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

  • John Stones reckons City are still the best team in England despite being more than Norwich City’s points tally behind Liverpool. You’ve lost nine times, lad – and that’s not even with you in the team most of the time (Mirror)
  • Norwich want £50m for centre-back Ben Godfrey and maybe someone needs to show them their ‘goals against’ tally (Sky Sports)
  • Ajax, Spurs and Everton all want Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg off Southampton, and one seems rather more likely to win trophies than the others (Telegraph)
  • And Carlo Ancelotti says he has been given “assurances” that the club will improve the squad in summer. Mate, have you seen your midfield? They could give you a garden gnome and that would “improve” on putting Gylfi Sigurdsson in there (Guardian)

 

Stupid rumour of the day

Sheffield United are interested in signing Norwich City’s attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell this summer when the Canaries are relegated.

Sounds ok so far, doesn’t it?

So let’s see what price tag the Star are giving Cantwell with this ‘exclusive‘ inside story.

£10 MILLION.

Ten million?! Think the Blades might just have a bit of competition if that’s the going rate for a Cantwell – or have they put most of his value on Godfrey for some reason?!

 

Tweet of the day

Neco Williams is a positional rival for Trent now, technically. So it’s superb to hear the No. 66 speak so well about how high the Welshman could go.

 

What we’re reading

The story on BBC Sport of the anti-racism demonstration in MLS as the games returned and the players took a stand—for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

And this incredible story by Jack Lang on the Athletic, about Bernio Verhagen: the non-playing professional who conned multiple teams into signing him up and is now in prison in Denmark.

 

Worth watching tonight

Bournemouth vs Spurs at 6pm. Athletic vs Sevilla in LaLiga at 9.

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