Grujic loan details emerge & Van Dijk backs the return of fans – Liverpool FC Roundup

Liverpool could yet see a little more transfer business take place, but we’re also seeing more details come through over those which have happened.

 

Grujic loan deals emerge

Marko Grujic sealed a surprise loan move to FC Porto before the Liga NOS deadline, giving him the chance to get regular action for 20/21 – as well as some Champions League experience.

The Serbian midfielder is still hoping to have a longer-term future at Liverpool, though much depends there on how he fares and how our midfield continues to thrive.

Over in Portugal, they were also largely surprised at the deal, so reports of how it came about have only just begun to emerge.

Record report that Porto will pay €500,000 for the season-long deal, with no option to buy him at the end.

It also suggests Liverpool turned down offers from Hertha Berlin and AC Milan before the European window shut.

 

Van Dijk backs calls for fans to return

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 12, 2020: Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk during the opening FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United FC at Anfield. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool have backed the joint letter from the Premier League, FA and other footballing bodies to the government, asking for fans to be able to safely return to matches soon.

Virgil van Dijk has echoed that call, highlighting the part that supporters play in the good times and bad.

“The fans can play a massive part in difficult games, in difficult times during games, but also in good times in games.

“When you concede a goal, the fans will lift you up and let you go again, or when you score a goal, that can also let the opponent go further away from you.

“But I think for us in particular it’s something we obviously enjoy at Anfield, everyone knows how difficult it is to play there with the fans behind us.

“It’s just different now, and we all have to adapt and hopefully things will change as soon as possible, because we need fans.”

The big defender also spoke about mentality and the relationship between club and fans over the past few years.

On a related coronavirus-themed note, Scotland have had a positive test come back for Southampton‘s Stuart Armstrong, but Andy Robertson returned negative.

However, so did Arsenal‘s Kieran Tierney, yet he must self-isolate anyway according to protocols.

 

Departure lounge

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Sunday, October 4, 2020: Liverpool’s Curtis Jones during the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. Aston Villa won 7-2. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Reds are all over the place at present on international duty, while others could be set for a longer-term move away.

 

Quickfire LFC news

Mo Salah (Image: Eibner-Pressefoto/EXPA/Feichter via www.imago-images.de/Imago/PA Images)

  • And Sven Goran Eriksson says teams have worked out how to play against Man City and Liverpool (Sky)

 

Around the Prem

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday, April 12, 2016: Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani in action against Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg match at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

  • United’s new striker Edinson Cavani has to self-isolate for 14 days after not being with a club since June…though since he hasn’t actually kicked a ball since March, perhaps that isn’t the worst news (BBC)
  • United also reckon they “walked away” from Sancho after working out he’d cost £227m overall…which is about five times less than the total of all the dross they’ve signed over the last half a decade (Guardian)
  • St Etienne have criticised Arsenal for not letting William Saliba head back on loan to them, because how dare a team not make it easy for another team to get what they want (TS)
  • And a few Championship sides want Baba Rahman on loan from Chelsea and honestly, we’d forgotten he existed (Goal)

 

Stupid bid of the day

West Ham offered Chelsea £50,000 for every game they did not start Fikayo Tomori in during a loan spell.

Can’t imagine why their transfer work hasn’t been all that successful over the last few years.

 

Tweet of the day

 

What we’re reading

James Balagizi is Liverpool’s representative in the Guardian‘s Next Generation 2020 list of youngsters to watch.

 

Worth watching tonight

Portugal vs Spain is decent for a friendly! 7:45pm. Or Netherlands vs Mexico for a bit of Reds-based action, same time.

Get our Liverpool FC roundups like this one to your inbox every evening!

An informative, tongue-in-cheek roundup of the day’s events at LFC and the wider football world.