Liverpool are in Austria on their pre-season camp but an unwelcome addition may have joined the group, according to reports from the local area.
Reds hit by Corona positive
It’s still unconfirmed at the time of writing, but local reports where the Reds are training in Austria have stated that one member of the travelling party has tested positive for coronavirus.
Premier League protocols will obviously be being followed if that proves to be the case, with isolation the first step, contact tracing plans checked to ensure no spread and ongoing further tests required to return a negative before a return to training.
That’s if it’s a player, of course, while training itself could go on unimpeded without the individual in question and especially so if it’s not a player.
The squad was training on Tuesday morning and there’s nothing yet confirmed or denied by the club, so it’s business as usual in preparing for 2020/21 – which could include a pre-season friendly with Salzburg.
Turkish giants want Grujic
It’s not looking as though Liverpool will have any shortage of admiring clubs keen on the services of Marko Grujic this summer – but whether any will meet the reported £20m asking price remains to be seen.
Mostly it has been Bundesliga clubs linked with the Serbian, but SportWitness today carry details of Turkish SuperLig outfit Galatasaray as wanting to land him.
Turkish newspaper Takvim say Gala want Grujic as part of the rebuild which gets them an entirely new midfield—but, as usual, there’s a catch.
This time it’s that the finances don’t allow them to sign him outright this summer, so they’ll instead seek yet another loan deal.
Local reports have suggested the Reds are entirely against that happening, with Grujic, Harry Wilson or some of their other players, so if Galatasaray really want Grujic they’ll likely have to offload someone or miss their chance to sign him.
Project Youth
We don’t just have the best team in the land, but also some of the finest youngsters in the country. What next for them?
- Rhian Brewster is a wanted man after plundering double figures in goals during his first spell out on loan, with top-flight clubs keen on taking him this season
- Jurgen Klopp wants to plan out a long-lasting Liverpool career for Neco Williams, who has just signed a new five-year deal
- And the U21s will face Tranmere, Port Vale and Wigan in the EFL Trophy this year, in another brilliant taste of senior action
Quickfire LFC news
- Ovie Ejaria is back in pre-season training with Reading, but the Reds face a complicated situation to complete the transfer he was now supposed to make (TIA)
- Here’s a brilliant look at the selflessness and humble greatness of Sadio Mane, off the pitch (FourFourTwo)
- John Hartson hopes Neco commits his future to Wales amid England interest and says he’ll win a huge volume of caps (TIA)
- Adam Lewis has completed an overseas loan, moving to Ligue 2 club Amiens for the coming campaign (TIA)
Around the Prem
- United have now decided Grealish is too expensive, Sancho is too hard to get and so Douglas Costa is their winger target (Sky)
- Leeds want Michy Batshuayi, but Chelsea want £25m. Suspect they’ll be waiting a while for that amount considering they didn’t feel he was good enough to play more than 300 minutes last season (Star)
- Man City could buy Douglas Luiz back for £25m from Villa, because spending more to rectify transfer errors is better than no spending at all (MEN)
- And after failing to lure both Allan and Hojbjerg, Everton are onto their third midfield target Abdoulaye Doucoure of Watford. Chances he prefers to stay in the Championship? (Mail)
Stupid rumour of the day
Barcelona have just been humiliated in Europe on account of a crap defence and an unstable midfield. They have a new manager incoming to sort out the mess of a dressing room, a €200m shortfall to make up before the start of next season, a €600m annual salary bill and barely any room to move in the transfer market.
So what’s the Mail’s take on all this? They’re going to sign Neymar, of course!
Tweet of the day
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Every strike from our #?9? in the @premierleague last season ?? pic.twitter.com/nYnPREL2fi
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 18, 2020
Looking forward to more of this, Bobby!
What we’re reading
It’s pre-season, after all, so here are the youngsters hoping to prove their worth and make the grade to look out for now and this coming season.
And in the first of the last-four clashes in Europe, the “Leipzig swarm” takes on the “PSG stars” and here’s how that meeting of different ideologies could pan out, in the Independent.
Worth watching tonight
Champions League semi-final time! Leipzig and PSG, could be a thriller. 8pm (BST) on BT, as usual.
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