Barcelona CB linked & how goals have renewed Reds’ hopes – Liverpool FC Roundup

January 17, 2022
This Is Anfield

Liverpool face a semi-final second leg on Thursday so the weekend win is more than appreciated – a victory at Arsenal and we’re off to Wembley for a shot at silverware.

Barcelona centre-back Araujo linked to Anfield

Compared to last season, the Reds are currently well-stocked in central defence; we haven’t had mass injury worries, fifth-choice Nat Phillips is probably up for sale and even Joe Gomez doesn’t get too much of a look-in at the moment.

A bit odd, then, that we’re linked with another new face at the back – but we know how these things work by now. Even so, it’s a curious one: Ronald Araujo, an exceptional performer in a devastatingly poor Barcelona side this season.

He has just one-and-a-half seasons left on his current deal so the expectation is that he leaves for a reasonable fee if the Camp Nou club can’t convince him to sign. He’s Uruguayan, aggressive, technically excellent and pretty quick.

Perhaps the one consideration here as far as a summer move goes is that there have been rumours about a Gomez exit, on loan or otherwise – so it’s at least wise that we’ve got potential recruits in mind too.

All we needed was a few in the net

Curtis Jones has echoed the thought of pretty much everybody associated by the club by suggesting it’s “more like it” for the Reds to rattle in three goals in a game instead of struggling to get anywhere near three shots on target

Takumi Minamino finding the back of the net so soon after his massive stoppage-time miss against Arsenal was “helpful”, says Jurgen Klopp – but the question of just how helpful will be answered by Thursday night’s team. Will Taki be back in the line-up with Ox injured?

Andy Robertson doesn’t want the Reds to worry about anything except one small, tiny detail: their own focus and consistency, and making sure we get back to being as relentless as we used to be. Trophy chances will follow if so, just like they did for two years at our peak

Latest Liverpool FC news

Trent’s weekend assist extended his record as the only defender to hit double figures in setting up goals across multiple consecutive seasons – how many times do we think he’ll do that, exactly?!

Kaide Gordon‘s massive moment in front of goal in the league at the weekend has fans equal parts excited for what’s next and wishing he’d buried it anyway

Former Red Jordon Ibe is off and out of the UK and has headed to Turkey for his latest challenge, as he looks to rebuild his career after a very tough few years

Latest Premier League chat

Donny van de Beek has explained to Newcastle how bad they are in no uncertain terms: He’s rejected a loan as he’d rather be a regularly unused sub, for a team with no trophy prospects, at a club with no manager, rather than move to St. James’ Park

Ousmane Dembele latest rumours are exactly the same as the last four years’ worth of Ousmane Dembele rumours: He’ll go to Man United, Juventus, Chelsea or Bayern. Or Newcastle, who have replaced Liverpool in that list

Armando Broja could make his loan move a permanent one from Chelsea to Southampton, which probably means Premier League teams in or around the Champions League spots will be linked with him precisely 11 months from now