Tag Archives: Liverpool

Chelsea set to truncate Liverpool, Manchester United move for Premier League star

Posted on by

Chelsea can scupper Liverpool’s reported interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi with a clause to match any bid for the England international.

Liverpool are weighing up a summer approach for Guehi, but the Reds could face competition from Manchester United, reports The Telegraph.

Guehi is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2026, however it is reported that the chances of the 23-year-old renewing his deal is low, which may see Palace part ways with him this summer.

Liverpool are reportedly keen on the England international, but rivals Manchester United could also make a move. The outlet says that if Dan Ashworth is to join the Red Devils as sporting director, the chances of United attempting to lure Guehi to Old Trafford could increase, with Ashworth previously plotting a deal for the player at Newcastle United.

Alongside Manchester United, Liverpool’s interest could be rivalled from Guehi’s former club Chelsea. The report reveals that Chelsea are believed to have a “matching option” for any approaches for the Cobham graduate and, with Thiago Silva set to depart Stamford Bridge in the summer, the Blues could be tempted into making an offer.

Chelsea could hijack any deal, though, due to a clause inserted into Guehi’s contract when he signed for the south Londoners nearly three years ago. The Blues will be notified if an offer is ever made for Guehi, allowing them to match the proposal.

They do not have a buy-back agreement, as they do with several other players, but will also receive a chunk of any figure Palace receive for Guehi in the future. The deal that took the former Swansea loanee to Selhurst Park is believed to have been in the region of £18m.

Barcelona, others set to battle Liverpool for Xabi Alonso

Posted on by

Liverpool will reportedly face fierce competition from Barcelona for Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso in the summer.

The Spaniard is the strong favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield but is also wanted by several other high-profile European clubs, including AC Milan and now also Barca.

It is claimed that Barca are scouring Germany for their next head coach, with Xavi Hernandez announcing that he, like Klopp, will step down at the end of the season. Alonso is considered ‘very popular’ among the Barca board.

Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and Klopp himself have also reportedly been discussed among key figures at the Nou Camp. Alonso, though, is considered the ‘dream’ appointment, Spanish publication Sport claim.

The former midfielder has guided Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga without losing a game. His side comprehensively defeated serial champions Bayern Munich 3-0 on Saturday night to take control of the title race. It was the performance of a team who are exceptionally well coached.

Links with La Liga giants Barca are not without merit. Alonso’s father, Periko, made over 50 league appearances for the club in the 1980s. Alonso spent some of his formative years in Catalonia during his father’s playing career.

Alonso played for Barca’s arch-rivals Real Madrid. The report claims the Catalans think they would be getting one over Los Blancos by appointing the former midfielder, who has been tipped to manage at the Bernabeu one day.

Alonso might be more enticed by the Liverpool job because of financial issues being experienced by Barca.

The 42-year-old has been strongly linked with a return to Anfield, where he made 210 appearances between 2004 and 2010. He became a fans’ favourite and scored in the triumphant 2005 Champions League final.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are unlikely to be looking for a new manager any time soon with Carlo Ancelotti overcoming a difficult start to the season and signing a new long-term contract. Los Blancos are five points clear at the top of La Liga after a 4-0 thumping of surprise title challengers Girona.

Photo Credit: bayer04_en/ X

Revealed: How former Liverpool star’s £350,000-a-week Saudi dream turned into nightmare

Posted on by

Jordan Henderson’s Saudi Arabian dream has turned sour after his Al-Ettifaq contract was terminated just six months and 19 games in so he can return to European football with Ajax

The England midfielder excitedly described last summer’s £12million move from Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq, to link up with Anfield icon Steven Gerrard, as a glorious opportunity to help ‘grow the Pro League into one of the best in the world’.

Six months down the line – at literally the first opportunity and having exhausted a lot of reputational capital – Henderson is dashing back from his £350,000-a-week football odyssey to something more familiar.

The 33-year-old has terminated his three-year Al-Ettifaq contract – at great personal expense as he’ll have to pay millions in tax – and is set to return to Europe with Ajax.

According to the Daily Mail, his family were living in more liberal Bahrain as opposed to the city of Dammam, where Al-Ettifaq play.

The commute to training and home matches, over the King Fahd Causeway, took 55 minutes.

Given the same report’s account of a footballer’s partner in western dress, with arms and legs on display, being hissed at by local women as she walked around a Saudi shopping mall, the choice to live in the less conservative culture was perhaps understandable.

As early as November, the first rumours Henderson and his family were finding it difficult to settle came to the surface.

Jurgen Klopp reckons Manchester City as Europe’s best team, says he doesn’t mind playing draw with Guardiola’s side

Posted on by

Jurgen Klopp has hailed rivals Manchester City as Europe’s best team at the moment.

The Liverpool boss reckons City were unlucky to lose 2-0 against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League earlier this week.

Klopp believes City bossed the game against PSG and would’ve won if they took their chances.

And to dominate a PSG team filled with stars such as Lionel Messi, Klopp thinks shows why Pep Guardiola’s are the best side Europe has to offer.

The Germain said: “But when you think about the quality of the PSG team and the way Man City dominated them, that says a lot, that says a lot about the qualities.

“They are still really, for me, probably the best team in Europe in the moment and it’s a tough one.”

Klopp suggested that he doesn’t mind a draw when his side face Manchester City this weekend.

The Reds are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table one point ahead of City.

And sharing the spoils with rivals City would mean the Kop giants will still be unbeaten in the Prem.

Speaking ahead of the weekend clash, Klopp said: “A draw would mean we’re still unbeaten. Take it now? it’s early.

“Let’s play the game and ask me after that. So far the start is OK but it’s not that we think we couldn’t have done better.”

Chelsea, Liverpool, others warned to stay away from red-hot striker if they can’t pay massive price tag

Posted on by

RB Leipzig chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff has warned Liverpool, Chelsea and other Timo Werner’s suitors that his £52m price tag is non-negotiable.

Liverpool lead a host of European clubs that have expressed an interest in the striker, who has scored 24 Bundesliga goals this season.

Mintzlaff told Sport Bild: “It won’t get any cheaper. We will not sell a player below value if he is under contract for more than a year.

“In general, we always have to ask the following question – can we replace a player if we sell him for less than his market value?

“But, I only think about those things once I have the facts on the table.”

Manchester City beat Liverpool to claim Community Shield (Match Report)

Posted on by

Manchester City have retained the Community Shield they won last season, but this time around it was Liverpool who gave them a very good match which went into penalties after 1-1 draw .

The Premier League champions eventually beat the UEFA Chapions League winners 5-4 on spot-kicks.

City were the better team in the first half, but Liverpool ran them ragged in the second half and fully deserved Joel Matip’s equaliser.

City led through Raheem Sterling’s early goal, which was both well-worked and scruffy. Kevin de Bruyne found David Silva, who knocked the ball on for Sterling to blast home. His shot was straight at Alisson, but hit with such venom from close range he could not keep it out

The Guardiola-tutored side were much the better team in general play – but Liverpool created three good chances of their own, all falling to Mo Salah.

In the second half, Liverpool were all over the Premier League champions. Shortly after the commencement of the second half, Van Dijk hit the underside of the bar! Alexander-Arnold’s scruffy corner from the left bounced past everyone at the near post and was hooked towards goal by Van Dijk.

It beat Bravo, rebounded off the underside of the bar and bounced down onto the line. Van Dijk thought it was in; goal-line technology confirmed it was not.

In the 58th minute of the game, Mo Salah also hit the post. The Egyptian wriggled away from a couple of City players on the edge of the area and drove a low, left-footed shot through the legs of David Silva. Bravo was slightly unsighted and the ball rebounded off the outside of the post.

Sterling should have handed the Etihad club their second goal in the 61st minute when nhe had a great chance to do that. He was put through on goal by Walker, with all the time in the world to decide what to do. He couldn’t decide whether to shoot or give the goal to Walker; in the end he did neither and ran the ball straight into the loving arms of Alisson.

Liverpool got a deserved equaliser for Liverpool in the 77th minute when Henderson’s free-kick from a narrow position on the right skimmed off the head of somebody in the middle and came to Van Dijk beyond the far post. He lobbed it calmly back into the six-yard box, where Matip beat Bravo with a precise downward header.

From this point it was Liverpool all the way. But they were unable to get the wining goal no thank to City goalkeeper who kept his team in the match.

Even during the penalty shoot-out, Bravo saved Georginio Wijnaldum ‘s kick while City scored all their own kicks to hand the Premier League champions the Community Shield.

Photo Credit: Twitter/mancity.com/tv, liverpoolfc.com

Female referee chosen to officiate Chelsea v Liverpool Super Cup tie, becomes first woman to handle major UEFA men’s event

Posted on by

UEFA have chosen female referee Stephanie Frappart to officiate the Super Cup tie between Liverpool and Chelsea at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul.

This will be the first time that a female official takes charge of a major UEFA men’s competition event – a showpiece match seen as the curtain-raiser to the new season.

Frappart had the honour of refereeing the FIFA Women’s World Cup final between the United States and the Netherlands in Lyon.

She also took charge of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 semi-final, where the Dutch hosts played England, and refereed the final of the 2012 UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championship, also in Turkey.

According to statement on UEFA’s website, the French woman will be assisted by compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neill from the Republic of Ireland. The fourth official will be Turkey’s Cuneyt Cakir.

Frappart created history domestically in France in April as she became the first female referee to officiate a men’s Ligue 1 match, between Amiens and Strasbourg.

Photo Credit: Sky Sports