Jordan Henderson is an inspirational captain at Liverpool and Diogo Jota has been discussing the role of his teammate in Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Speaking on the ‘Jordan Henderson is Never Done’ documentary, the 25-year-old said: “To be honest, it is the first time I had a player like Jordan on the pitch – he tries to speak with you always, not always good words!

“He keeps you pushing forward, the role of being a manager inside the field.

READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold on why he wouldn’t be ‘able to make the steps as quick as I was able to’ without Jordan Henderson

“I know that I cannot rest for a second because he will be right up against me.”

Our No.20 is clearly impressed with the leadership qualities of his captain and it’s not a surprise to hear that he is as vocal as he appears to be, when watching from the stands or TV.

Dependability and an aura that ensures his teammates keep their high standards on the field, some great attributes of a brilliant skipper.

The whole documentary is a real treat and helps to personify what the 32-year-old means to this football club.

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Jordan Henderson is an inspirational captain at Liverpool and Trent Alexander-Arnold has been discussing the role of his teammate in Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Speaking on the ‘Jordan Henderson is Never Done’ documentary, the 23-year-old said: “We’ve got that relationship now where he will still tell me off if I risk it too much and if he thinks I should have kept it and played it simple.

“But he’s someone that encourages me to play the game I need to play. He understands the type of player I am and enables me to do that on and off the pitch.

READ MORE: “I need to shout at people” – Jordan Henderson on his leadership skills and motivation to ‘prove people wrong’

“I don’t think I would have been able to make the steps as quick as I was able to without him being around and being there for me.”

Our No.66 has had such a rapid rise to stardom and there’s no doubt that the ever present role of his captain would have helped him settle into the squad.

Being able to play together for club and country will also mean that they have a special bond, one that will last for their personal and professional lives.

The whole documentary is a real treat and helps to personify what the 32-year-old means to this football club.

EOTK Insider Opinion: Ben Davies’ wages and why he is the blueprint of how Liverpool don’t do transfer business

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Jordan Henderson is an inspirational captain at Liverpool and he has been discussing his role in Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Speaking on the ‘Jordan Henderson is Never Done’ documentary, the 32-year-old said: “When I’m on the pitch I’m different. I think I’ve always been quite an instinctive player, quite a high-energy, intense player, quite emotional. I’ve sort of had to improve over the last few years, definitely, since Jürgen came. I get a lot of help from the players around me, of course, a lot of help from the coaching staff.

“I do become a lot more intense [on the pitch], a lot more aggressive – only to try to help the team. I need to shout at people for them to be able to hear me really.

READ MORE: (Video) Jamie Carragher loving Jamie Webster’s music in Glastonbury as the Scouser dances and signs at the festival

“My motivation has always been to prove people wrong and I don’t think that will ever go, I think that will always be the case. I’ve always had to prove people wrong all through my life and I don’t think I’d want it to change now. I’ve learned to deal with it, I’ve learned to use it in a positive way.”

It’s no secret that our No.14 is a vocal leader on the pitch and he manages to get the best out of his teammates because of it.

His fight to prove people wrong is what makes him such a good player too, as the Sunderland-born midfielder has been silencing doubters ever since he arrived at Anfield.

The whole documentary is a real treat and helps to personify what the skipper means to this football club.

EOTK Insider Opinion: Ben Davies’ wages and why he is the blueprint of how Liverpool don’t do transfer business

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Jamie Carragher has been enjoying the break from football for the summer, with the chance to enjoy some live music.

Whilst attending Glastonbury Festival, the Bootle-born pundit was spotted enjoying some music from a fellow Scouser whilst he was at the music event.

Jamie Webster was signing his hit song ‘Weekend in Paradise’ and videos soon began circling of our former No.23 enjoying being able to watch it be played live.

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano provides an ‘as things stand’ update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Otavio and Gini Wijnaldum

Uploading a video to his own Twitter account, the 44-year-old also wrote the caption: ‘#Glastonbury2022 A weekend in paradise my friend! @JamieWebster94 ’.

You can watch the video of Carragher enjoying Webster’s music via @Carra23 on Twitter:

#Glastonbury2022 A weekend in paradise my friend! @JamieWebster94 pic.twitter.com/vrrdNhhw0n

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) June 25, 2022

EOTK Insider Opinion: Ben Davies’ wages and why he is the blueprint of how Liverpool don’t do transfer business

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Liverpool have been linked with several midfielders this summer, two of which being Otavio and Gini Wijnaldum.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter though: ‘Both Liverpool and Porto deny all the stories about Otávio deal. There are no negotiations ongoing – also, the release clause is €40m and not €60m. #LFC

‘Otávio and Wijnaldum are not in the list for Liverpool as things stand – still long market, but no talks for these two’.

READ MORE: Liverpool’s links with Otavio rubbished as several sources confirm that there is ‘no truth in reports linking Liverpool with a move’

It seemed very unlikely that there would be a return for the ex-Red and now the links to the Porto man have been widely quashed as well.

For some reason, despite the club stating that the business was done for the summer, there are still countless links with several new signings.

If we are to sign a midfielder it seems more than likely we will be waiting until next summer to do so, with Jude Bellingham remaining a hotly linked name.

You can view the update on Wijnaldum and Otavio via @FabrizioRomano on Twitter:

Both Liverpool and Porto deny all the stories about Otávio deal. There are no negotiations ongoing – also, the release clause is €40m and not €60m. #LFC

Otávio and Wijnaldum are not in the list for Liverpool as things stand – still long market, but no talks for these two.

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 27, 2022

EOTK Insider Opinion: Ben Davies’ wages and why he is the blueprint of how Liverpool don’t do transfer business

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Despite seemingly closing our transfer window operations, there have been several links with Otavio in recent days.

As reported by Neil Jones from GOAL though, these rumours appear to have been far from the truth: ‘Told there’s no truth in reports linking Liverpool with a move for Porto’s Otavio this summer. Not a target and never has been’.

It seems like signing our latest Primeira Liga star has been ruled out and the belief that our business is done, still remains strong.

READ MORE: Liverpool make ‘informal offer of €60 million’ for 21-year-old Real Madrid star who ‘is tempted’ by ‘Klopp’s interest’

It is amazing that we can ‘publically’ announce that we will not be signing another player this summer but the rumours continue to swirl around Anfield.

In the case of the 27-year-old from Porto, it looks as though he will not become our man and his age did always seem to make this an unlikely story.

With a week to pre-season starting and a month to the Premier League, it’s likely there’ll be a couple more stories ruled out before the football can do the talking once again.

You can view the update on Otavio via @neiljonesgoal on Twitter:

Told there's no truth in reports linking Liverpool with a move for Porto's Otavio this summer. Not a target and never has been.#LFC

— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) June 27, 2022

EOTK Insider Opinion: Ben Davies’ wages and why he is the blueprint of how Liverpool don’t do transfer business

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Liverpool are said to be tracking Chelsea hitman Timo Werner this summer as the Reds eye up a potential fourth senior addition to the squad this summer.

This comes courtesy of Football Insider, with the club said to be confident of getting more out of the German under their system.

The former RB Leipzig attacker hasn’t quite lived up to his potential in England so far and only registered 17 goal contributions in 37 appearances last term.

READ MORE: Jose Enrique says ‘people maybe don’t appreciate’ one ‘incredible’ Liverpool star – Klopp agrees he’s underrated

We have already recruited superbly following Sadio Mane’s exit with the acquisition of Benfica goal machine Darwin Nunez, though there are question marks hanging still over the future of Mo Salah.

That being said, it’s difficult to see Werner as the solution in that regard, should a replacement for the Egyptian King be deemed necessary.

Favouring the central spot in the frontline, the striker hardly stands out as a suitable option to slot in should our No.11 not extend his terms with us.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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When compared with Virgil van Dijk, it can be far too easy for many commentators to scoff at the prospect of acknowledging Joel Matip as a world-class operator at the back.

Certainly, for Jose Enrique, who commented on the matter on Twitter, it seems as if some ‘maybe don’t appreciate’ the Cameroonian international or the quality of his performances last term.

I agree with you because with VVD we have the best center back in the world people maybe don't appreciate how incredible is been matip this https://t.co/WwB8U6vXlt of our best players for me. It will be between hendo and him for me https://t.co/v4yhI2i4ud

— José enrique (@Jesanchez3) June 26, 2022

The notion that the 30-year-old is underrated is one Jurgen Klopp himself has previously agreed with, telling liverpoolfc.com: ‘he definitely is’.

With Ibrahima Konate playing an important role in Europe and Joe Gomez recovering from prior injury setbacks the No.32 featured heavily alongside the Reds’ No.4.

READ MORE: Man City CEO comes to defence of Liverpool with Champions league snipe at Real Madrid

It was a partnership that proved to be far from disappointing and, indeed, fell a point short of Manchester City in the title race as we came achingly close to recording a historic quadruple haul of silverware.

As such, ahead of the next campaign, the former Schalke man will most certainly leave Klopp with quite the selection headache given how impressively our French centre-half finished off the term alongside Van Dijk in the Champions League final.

There’s no question that the ex-Bundesliga star is the future of the backline, though it doesn’t hurt to highlight just how fortunate we are to have a world-class array of centre-backs at our disposal.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Derry City teenager Trent Kone-Doherty is set to sign for Liverpool next month and the youngster’s youth manager believes he has all the attributes to have a successful career on Merseyside.

Gerald Boyle coaches the U17s at Derry and believes that despite the 15-year-old possessing a number of physical and technical attributes, his ‘brilliant attitude’ is what sets him apart from the rest.

Kone-Doherty will celebrate his 16th birthday on Thursday and usually operates as a winger on either flank – he will arrive at the club and continue his development amongst the Academy set-up.

“Trent certainly does have all the attributes to do well,” Boyle told the Derry Journal (via the Liverpool Echo).

“Trent has that ‘x-factor, he’s got something special. His one-on-one ability is excellent. He has got serious, serious pace but the biggest thing about him is that he has a brilliant attitude.

“He is so receptive to information, he wants to learn all the time and he’s a great team-mate as well. Those qualities, as well as his physical and technical abilities, will take him a long way because he’s a great kid to work with and, as I said, he wants to learn and get better. Hopefully, that takes him a long, long way in the game.

“Of course, it’s going to be tough. The Premier League is a tough environment but you know what, Trent has got a really, really good chance because he has got that something special.”

READ MORE: Man City CEO comes to defence of Liverpool with Champions league snipe at Real Madrid

Boyle was also keen to praise Liverpool for the way in which the club goes about its transfer business and credited everybody that had played their part in the teenager’s development so far.

“Liverpool, in particular, go for quality over quantity, they don’t go for big numbers at their academy,” he added.

“It’s a credit to everybody who has worked with Trent down the years from his boys club coaches and to every coach that has had him at Derry City, they have all helped him on that journey to get to Liverpool.

“Obviously there’s a lot of natural ability and his family will also have put in a lot of work with him as well.”

It’s great to see that the club are thinking about the future to ensure our success continues for future generations.

Derry are expected to receive a six-figure fee for the youngster and he will join Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay in moving to Anfield this summer.

Kone-Doherty has represented the Republic of Ireland at U16 and U17 level and he will be excited by the opportunity to continue his development with the Mighty Reds.

If he’s anything like the other Trent we have at the club, he must be good!

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Ferran Soriano has suggested that Real Madrid may have ‘deserved to lose’ against Liverpool in the final of the Champions League and in prior stages of the competition against Manchester City and PSG.

The Reds were defeated by a single goal from Vinicius Jr. in the second-half of action at the Stade de France despite the former arguably dominating much of the proceedings.

“The Champions League is an additional trophy that we want but we know that it might be subject to a bit of luck so we’re not obsessed,” the Sky Blues’ CEO spoke on the Dr Football Podcast (via the Manchester Evening News).

“People say now about the success that Real Madrid have had in the last years and I think it’s fair to say that there’s been a bit of luck.

“Maybe I could say that they deserved to lose against PSG, against Chelsea, against us, against Liverpool.

“But, people do not remember that in the 90s, 80s, Real Madrid had a fantastic team, one of the best in history with Butragueno and they couldn’t win. They were knocked out of the Champions (League).”

The event itself, however, was marred by the atrocious efforts of French authorities and UEFA, with the actions of French police, in particular, inspiring horror across the footballing community.

READ MORE: Pundit says Liverpool have an ‘excellent’ 27-year-old midfielder they ‘can’t really afford to lose’

A second Champions League final lost to Los Blancos will hurt Jurgen Klopp’s men, particularly after the unfortunate nature of the first defeat in Kyiv.

It’s an experience we’ll no doubt learn from, however, and we hope our following campaign in Europe will follow an identical trajectory to our 2018/19 season in which a second attempt at glory produced the desired result.

Fundamentally, this is a Liverpool side that uses disappointment to its advantage and we’re looking forward to seeing what impact coming close to a quadruple haul of silverware will have in the coming weeks.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Porto are reportedly expecting Liverpool to make an offer for Luis Diaz’s former teammate Otavio.

The 27-year-old Brazil born midfielder is also attracting interest from Leeds United, but the Portuguese outfit ‘expect the Reds to get involved’ and offer £34m for the Portugal international, that’s according to the Daily Mirror (via the Liverpool Echo).

The Yorkshire outfit are believed to have had a £26m bid rejected by the Primeria Liga champions, but the same reports suggests that Otavio has a £51m release clause in his contract.

We raided Porto in January for Luis Diaz and he instantly hit the ground running at Anfield.

The same would therefore be hoped of Otavio if we were to try our luck and make a bid for the the player.

READ MORE: Premier League side ‘doing everything they can’ to sign 21-year-old Liverpool star – BBC Sport journalist

It does, however, look unlikely that any further additions will be made this summer after the signing of 18-year-old defender Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen appeared to mark the end of our incomings this window.

The former Internacional man has a contract that still has three years remaining with Porto so it would therefore take a sizeable fee for them to allow him to leave.

In 49 appearances last term (across all competitions), Otavio registered five goals and 14 assists.

It remains to be seen whether Jurgen Klopp will make any further additions to his squad in the coming weeks, we’ll just have to wait and see.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Paul Robinson has urged Liverpool to keep hold of Naby Keita amid a report from Fabrizio Romano claiming that the Reds are keen to extend his terms at the club.

The Guinean international’s contract is set to expire next summer along with the likes of Mo Salah, Bobby Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s.

“He had a lot of game time last season and he played well. I was really impressed by him,” the former England No.1 told Football Insider.

“When you consider that [Sadio] Mane has gone and that [Mohamed] Salah and [Roberto] Firmino only have a year left it is important that you keep Keita. You don’t want too much upheaval in the squad.

“Keita played a lot better than people expected him to this year. I think he was excellent at times.

“It is very important that they keep him in my eyes. He has been much improved.

“You have to remember that they lost [Georginio] Wijnaldum last year and did not replace him. They can’t really afford to lose another.”

The former Bundesliga star has endured heavy critique following a switch to the English top-flight, as injuries have made it difficult for the midfielder to realise his potential at the club.

READ MORE: Ex-PL star tells other clubs to copy Liverpool transfer trick that could pay huge dividends despite Mane exit

Some superb management of Keita last term, however, arguably brought about the best season we’ve seen yet from our No.8 in the famous red shirt.

Whilst we can certainly appreciate an element of caution around the player’s future given his prior track record, one would think the prospect of offering him a new contract would be somewhat appealing if both the medical and coaching departments are confident the 27-year-old can deliver such campaigns on a regular basis.

At his current age, there’s certainly a future for the £48m at Liverpool, should he be capable of avoiding a flurry of injuries.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Nigel Reo-Coker has urged other clubs to take a long hard look at Liverpool’s business instincts when it comes to finding the right time to sell key stars.

The comments followed Sadio Mane’s £27.5m move to Bayern Munich with the Senegalese international keen to seek out a new challenge – a request the Reds were prepared (if not quite happy) to accommodate with a deal for Darwin Nunez then in the pipeline.

“He took Liverpool to another level and clearly it is a big loss,” the ex-West Ham man told Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast (via BBC Sport).

“But they are always planning ahead and have got the structure and pieces in place to deal with departures.

“From a business perspective, it’s the right time to sell Mane. Other clubs play hardball over players and then lose them on free transfers a year later.

“I think they could learn from how Liverpool know when to let go of their players.”

The Merseysiders could be forced to pull off a similar transfer trick next summer should Mo Salah’s contract be allowed to run down to expiration date.

READ MORE: Liverpool could be set to sell out of favour defender for eight times what they paid as Celtic & Middlesbrough show interest – report

It’s fair to say that our transfer business under the guidance of Michael Edwards and, now, Julian Ward has been nothing short of exemplary and the good news is that standards don’t appear to be slipping in that particular department.

As such, we can more than understand the reported interest in our former recruitment team chief from the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and PSG, among others.

That being said, it’s worth reinforcing the point that, as Jurgen Klopp has previously, our transfer business is very much the result of a group effort.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Nottingham Forest are ‘doing everything they can’ to ensure they sign Neco Williams from Liverpool this summer, that’s according to BBC Sport’s Natalie Jackson (via Transfer Tavern).

The Welsh international has been linked with a number of clubs in recent weeks as speculation surrounding his departure from Anfield continues.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at Fulham and helped the Craven Cottage earn promotion back to the Premier League.

READ MORE: Liverpool could be set to sell out of favour defender for eight times what they paid as Celtic & Middlesbrough show interest – report

Marco Silva’s side are one of the clubs interested in the full-back who will be wanting regular first-team minutes again next season.

He is, of course, up against Trent Alexander-Arnold for the starting spot at right-back at Liverpool and his chances of forcing his way into the first team this season took a major blow recently after the Reds announced the signing of teenage full-back Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen.

The City Ground outfit recently signed ex-Red Taiwo Awoniyi from Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin – a move that saw Liverpool pocket £1.7m after inserting a 10% sell-on clause in the deal that saw him move to the German capital from Merseyside 12 months ago, and Forest are reportedly prepared to splash £15m on Williams.

The Academy graduate has 21 international caps to his name and will be excited by the idea of joining Steve Cooper’s side as they prepare for their first season back in the English top-flight in 23 years.

Our No. 76 is certainly good enough to be playing regular first-team football so a departure from Anfield this summer may be the best decision for the youngster.

He will want to ensure he’s perfoming well this season and earning enough minutes to earn a spot in Wales’ World Cup squad that will be heading to Qatar later this year.

You can see the tweet regarding Williams below via BBC Sport’s Natalie Jackson on Twitter below:

So @nffc busy in the transfer market with Awoniyi confirmed. Deal for goalie Henderson done too but he’s not back till July 1st so will be announced then. Also the club doing everything they can to sign Liverpool defender Neco Williams #nffc

— Natalie Jackson (@NatJacksonsport) June 25, 2022

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Both Celtic and Middlesbrough have registered interest in Liverpool’s Ben Davies, though a formal bid has yet to arrive.

This comes courtesy of the Daily Record, which understands that the Reds are hoping to make as much as eight times (£4m) what they initially sold the defender for (£500k) in an overall transfer package.

The 26-year-old has yet to start for Jurgen Klopp’s men, having arrived at the club alongside Ozan Kabak two seasons ago during a tumultuous period defined by an injury crisis to the backline.

READ MORE: ‘Just like at…’ – Monaco boss makes Liverpool admission ahead of Taki Minamino’s £12.9m transfer switch

With us having invested well via the acquisition of former Bundesliga star Ibrahima Konate, not to mention the fact that Virgil van Dijk’s title-winning centre-half partner, Joe Gomez, is struggling for minutes, it seems unlikely that many opportunities for minutes will arise.

Though certainly far from eye opening, a figure at least close to the £4m reportedly desired would represent some additional good business for us this window.

It’s a shame, of course, that Davies could very well leave Liverpool without having filed out once for us, though an exit would represent the best possible outcome for the player’s career.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Philippe Clement has claimed that a £12.9m move to Monaco represents ‘an opportunity’ for Taki Minamino after being faced with significant competition for places at Liverpool.

With the World Cup vaguely on the horizon, it’s one the Japanese international was no doubt more than happy to take in order to potentially secure a more regular supply of minutes.

“He was very high on our list. Everyone here is convinced that he has the qualities to bring something to the team,” the 48-year-old told RMC Sport (via the Daily Mail). “He already has experience and has done a lot of good things at Salzburg, in a style close to ours, just like at Liverpool where there is a lot of competition. That’s why this is an opportunity.”

The former RB Salzburg star enjoyed a stellar campaign in the domestic cups at Anfield last term, amassing eight goal contributions in eight appearances across the FA Cup and Carabao Cup collectively.

READ MORE: ‘Liverpool had to…’ – Alan Shearer responds to Nunez & Haaland transfers with ‘certain’ prediction

It’s a significant reason why Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff will sincerely miss the 27-year-old, despite having somewhat addressed exits with the incomings of Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho.

With Divock Origi and Sadio Mane having also called time on their Liverpool careers, however, it still leaves us an attacker short for when we’re looking to rotate the squad in a bid to handle the demands of the season.

There’s the possibility of Kaide Gordon being introduced more regularly to the fold, of course, which is an option that will more than suit our German head coach should the teenager impress sufficiently in pre-season.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Liverpool are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing Marco Asensio from Real Madrid next year, that’s according a report by AS (via Caught Offside).

The Spain international is set to remain in the Spanish capital for the upcoming season but will be able to leave for free in 12 months time if he doesn’t renew his current contract.

The Reds have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old recently following Sadio Mane’s departure to Bayern Munich, but transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that a move for the Spaniard is not currently something of interest to the Reds.

READ MORE: Robbie Fowler has his own theory regarding Mo Salah’s Liverpool future as the Egyptian enters the final 12 months of his current deal

It’s also believed that Asensio would prefer a move to Serie A giants AC Milan because he’s guaranteed more regular game time at the San Siro compared to Anfield.

North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal are the other English outfits that are monitoring the three time La Liga winner.

He found game time from the start hard to come by last season and is viewed very much as a squad player under Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu.

He registerd 12 goals and two assists in 42 appearances (across all competitions) for Los Blancos last term but with just 12 months remaining on his current deal, Madrid may find it difficult convincing him to renew his deal and therefore face the prospect of losing him for free at the end of next season.

He’s a talented player with age still on his side, so if he’s interested in coming to the club next year then it may very well be a move that Jurgen Klopp will consider.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

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Robbie Fowler has weighed in on Mo Salah’s Liverpool contract situation as the Egyptian King enters the final year of his current deal.

There’s yet to be an agreement between the 30-year-old and the club over a new deal but ex-Red Fowler has suggested that the Reds will be weighing up their options before meeting the winger’s wage demands and offering him a fresh contract.

Another of Liverpool’s main men, Sadio Mane, left the club for Bayern Munich recently as he too only had one year remaining on his Anfield deal, but Salah has already confirmed that he will be remaining on Merseyside next term.

“I won’t pretend to know what’s going on with his contract, but clearly the answer is: nothing much. And that leaves so many questions unanswered,” Fowler wrote in his column for the Mirror (via Liverpool Echo).

“One thing is obvious, the club has done some very clear, precise and unemotional calculations with Mane. He’s 31 in April, has a huge amount of running in his legs, and wanted a huge contract as one of the best players in the world.

“I don’t blame him for that. Mane is the equal of virtually every world class star at the moment, and rightly wanted that recognition with the going rate for the last big contract of his career. What Liverpool so obviously did though, was run their analytics – which to their credit they do so well – and decided selling him to buy Darwin Nunez and keep their wage structure in place was the right thing for the club. It begs the question, what calculations have they run on Salah?

“Again, I don’t know all the answers, but what screams out to me so clearly, is they won’t be breaking their wage structure to keep him. If they were prepared to do that, it would have happened by now. But look, I can’t blame Salah for wanting the going rate, just like Mane did. He’s the Premier League Golden Boot winner, he’s the Footballer of the Year and in with a great shout of the Ballon d’Or top three.

“What salary does a player in the top three in the world command? He obviously believes it’s more than Liverpool are offering. But if my old club are running complex calculations, then so too is Salah – and it can never be a precise science. I think him saying no matter what happens with his contract, he’ll be at Anfield next year was clearly a threat.”

READ MORE: ‘If you ask the majority of Liverpool fans’ – Pundit makes Gini Wijnaldum admission as uncertainty remains over his PSG future

If Salah’s contract situation is not resolved in the near future, he will be allowed to leave the club for free at the end of next season.

That’s a worrying prospect, especially when you consider that the former AS Roma man has become recognised as one of the best players in the world in recent years.

Fowler has claimed that the club are biding their time with contract negotiations to ensure that they make the correct decision.

“His calculation is that if he gets to leave Liverpool next summer on a free, with his salary and with a big bonus because there’s no fee, he’ll get that level of wages,” Fowler added.

“That can work, often does. But there’s another calculation, which I’m inclined to believe Liverpool are currently running. Will he still be the same player next summer? Look, he’s been one of the best in the world for a long time now. But since the turn of the year, he’s been – by his standards – pretty average.

“Look at his goals record. Six from open play in the whole of 2022, a lot of missed chances, some heartache in the Champions League final when he could have won it – and probably the Ballon d’Or along with it. So he and Liverpool must ask: is that temporary because of the punishing schedule and his exertions for Egypt? Or is time catching up with him? That’s the question other potential suitors must ask too, if and when he becomes available. Can he stay at the summit of world football well into his 30s, or will he begin to fade?

“I have to confess that I’m beginning to believe Liverpool are concerned it will be the latter, otherwise they’d have done more over a new deal. And maybe they’re waiting now to see how he starts next season.”

Jurgen Klopp has strengthened his attacking options with the signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica and Fabio Carvalho from Fulham – Luis Diaz also arrived from FC Porto in January meaning it’s fair to say that the future is looking bright in the attacking department.

Salah is Liverpool’s main man, however, and after winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot award once again last season, Reds fans will be wanting a new deal secured for the No. 11 sooner rather than later.

It remains to be seen what will happen on the contract front, but let’s hope Mo can perform to his usual high standards once again next season to fire us towards more silverware.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

The post Robbie Fowler has his own theory regarding Mo Salah’s Liverpool future as the Egyptian enters the final 12 months of his current deal appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Ever since leaving Liverpool for PSG last summer, Gini Wijnaldum has not reached the levels that many in the French capital would’ve hoped for.

As a result of the move not quite going to plan, it’s believed that the French champions are open to letting the Netherlands international leave the club, with a potential return to Liverpool on the cards according to some reports.

Fabrizio Romano has labelled those reports as ‘fake’ recently, but former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan has claimed the ‘majority of Liverpool fans’ would want the former No. 5 to return.

“If you ask the majority of Liverpool fans, they’d probably want him back,” he told Football Insider (via the Liverpool Echo).

“When it comes down to manager and the logistics of everything, it’s very hard to bring a player back so soon after they’ve left. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ve got to stick to that decision.

“He’s a fantastic player and he’d be a stop-gap, that’s all he would be. Liverpool need a more solid base when it comes to that midfield player that comes in. Someone with a bit of longevity.

“I think they are doing the right thing by biding their time and waiting for the right people to become available and go into the club for years and not just one season.”

READ MORE: Liverpool legend believes ‘good guy’ Andy Robertson will help Calvin Ramsay settle at Anfield

It’s bemusing as to why Wijnaldum has struggled since leaving Anfield – he was a vitally important player under Jurgen Klopp and many presumed he would continue his impressive showings in the French capital.

Some claim that Liverpool are still yet to replace the former Newcastle United man and strengthening the midfield is believed to be Klopp’s next priority.

Aurelien Tchouameni was one of the club’s main targets this summer but the Frenchman opted to join Real Madrid instead, whilst England international Jude Bellingham is also believed to be a target for the Reds.

The former Birmingham City midfielder has confirmed he’s remaining at Borussia Dortmund this season, but a move for the 18-year-old midfielder may be revisited next year.

Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay have all arrived on Merseyside this summer and no more incomings are expected before the current window closes on September 1.

It appears unlikely that Wijnaldum will be returning to Liverpool.

It’s rare when the club sign players over the age of 25 and signings will only be made if the right player is available for the right price

There are four Premier League club’s monitoring the 31-year-old’s situation, including Everton, so it remains to be seen what will happen in the coming weeks.

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

The post ‘If you ask the majority of Liverpool fans’ – Pundit makes Gini Wijnaldum admission as uncertainty remains over his PSG future appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Former Liverpool star Steve Nicol believes that Andy Robertson will help Calvin Ramsay settle at Anfield.

The 18-year-old arrived on Merseyside recently after completing a £6.5m move from Scottish outfit Aberdeen and Nicol has been reminiscing about his memories of joining the Reds.

He recalls players like Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen helping him feel at home at the club.

“They made it easy for me. And when I look at this Liverpool squad now, they look really together, too. No doubt Robbo will be the first one that will look after Ramsay, so I expect it just to be the same,” Nicol told the Daily Mail (via the Kop Times).

“Robbo is a good guy as well, so I don’t think there’s any danger. As I said, he’ll look after Calvin.”

READ MORE: (Video) Thiago Alcantara claims Liverpool teammate is ‘one of the best players’ he’s ever played with

The entire squad will be keen to make Ramsay feel at home, but with Robertson being a compatriot of the youngster, he will be eager to ensure he helps the defender reach his potential and push him towards the senior Scotland squad.

Our No. 26 is of course the skipper of Steve Clarke’s side whilst Ramsay is yet to make his senior debut, but does have three U21 caps to his name.

The Scotsman is in good hands at Liverpool, whilst learning from fellow full-backs Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the training pitch at the AXA Training Centre, he will also benefit from Jurgen Klopp’s superb guidance.

Being so young, he’s not expected to come to the club and immediately challenge our No. 66 at right-back, but over time he will be eager to earn some minutes and prove he’s got what it takes to succeed in the famous Red shirt.

He’s more than earned his move to the English top-flight after impressing for Aberdeen last term – he registered one goal and nine assists in 33 appearances (across all competitions) for the Pittodrie outfit.

Hopefully the teenager feels at home straight away on Merseyside and we wish him all the best!

#Ep55 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Farewell Sadio Mane, Mo Salah contract hope… & more!

The post Liverpool legend believes ‘good guy’ Andy Robertson will help Calvin Ramsay settle at Anfield appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.