Liverpool FC Thread #156 :- We Are Liverpool

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Originally Posted by elimmel

Really hope the funds are available when needed. Now media reports of a bid made for Oblak...

Personally I would prefer Oblak over Allison but many people are saying that Allison is much suitable for Klopps' style of play.

And I wouldnt be surprised if Klopp give Karius another season or maybe before Jan transfer window to prove himself again.

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Nabil Fekir's agent confirms Liverpool's interest - but suggests Reds will be made to wait

The agent of Nabil Fekir has confirmed Liverpool's interest in the Lyon captain - but stated that a potential deal is nowhere near completion.

The Reds have identified Fekir as a prime target this summer and have been linked in connection with a £60million move for OL captain.

Fekir has been extensively scouted by Liverpool officials and the Reds are keen to snare the attacking midfielder before the World Cup starts later this month.

A report in France over the weekend claimed Fekir and his representatives were due on Merseyside on Sunday for talks.



However, those stories have since proven wide of the mark and Fekir's agent Jean-Pierre Bernes has hinted that the transfer might not be concluded before the World Cup in Russia.

Bernes told Le Progres: "I did not leave Marseille (this weekend), I am with my family.

"But I will be clear, we will go with Nabil to Liverpool or elsewhere when there is an agreement with Lyon - and if Jean-Michel Aulas gives the green light.

"Liverpool’s interest exists, but for the moment nothing is done and other clubs could come in. The [transfer] window will be long."

Fekir impressed for Lyon last season, scoring 23 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions, and it was this form that alerted the Reds to his potential.

Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also understood to be monitoring the situation, although Bernes dismissed rumours of a switch to Germany.

“There is no contact with Bayern," he said.

The 24-year-old was an unused substitute as France beat Italy 3-1 on Friday night. Les Bleus' final friendly is next Saturday against the United States before they begin their World Cup campaign against Australia on June 16.

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Liverpool 'line up £79million swoop' for Jan Oblak, and other Reds transfer rumours rated

The transfer speculation around Liverpool is hotting up.

While the club contemplate their move in the pursuit of Nabil Fekir, plenty of gossip columns from across Europe are linking a whole host of players with a move to Anfield.

Here is a round-up of the latest transfer rumours.

Jan Oblak

Who? The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper, who is very much one of the fans' first-choice options as Liverpool look to move for a goalkeeper in this transfer window.

Where? It's a first summer sighting of Spanish outlet Don Balon, who claim Liverpool are lining up a £79million bid for the Slovenian, with Atletico potentially tempted.

What? The first rule of Fight Club is you don't talk about Fight Club. The second rule is you take absolutely everything Don Balon publishes with a grain of salt.



Ovie Ejaria

Who? Liverpool's talented 20-year-old midfielder, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Sunderland.

Where? The Daily Record up in Scotland, who claim he is being lined up by Steven Gerrard at Rangers on loan. Dominic Solanke is also linked with a move.

What? Gerrard would be open to loaning a few players from his former club, and Ejaria would benefit from the minutes. Solanke would offer more of a dilemma for the club.



Steven Bergwijn

Who? A teenage PSV winger who is seen as one of the Netherlands' brightest young prospects.

Where? De Telegraaf, in Bergwijn's homeland, claim Liverpool have been scouting him - but Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham and Bournemouth are all poised as well.

What? He fits the profile at Liverpool, and speculation over his future is inevitable after a breakout season in Eindhoven.



Jasper Cillessen

Who? Barcelona goalkeeper who has served as the club's no.2 in recent seasons.

Where? Over in Spain, and Marca to be precise. They claim Barca are in the market for a second-choice goalkeeper, which could hand Liverpool a boost in their pursuit of a no.1.

What? At 29 years old and with just nine first-team appearances last season, surely promoting Danny Ward would be considered a more feasible and beneficial option in the long-term.

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Dembele Staying Put

Ousmane Dembele was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in recent weeks, and we were all pretty excited.

Unfortunately for us, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu is an absolute killjoy, and he’s hammered home the final nail to the coffin of reports that suggested Jurgen Klopp could tie up a shock loan move for the French international.

Talking in America, Bartomeu said: “Coutinho, Dembele are for us a big investment. They are very important players and we expect a lot from them.

“Coutinho probably in the last four months has been very active for the team.

“But Dembele is a very young player, a very talented player that we are, of course, expecting a lot from. He’s been demonstrating during the season that he’s a good young player for us.

“But, of course, next season will be different. It’s not easy to play in Barcelona the first year because the model of football is quite different from the rest.

“But after one year I’m sure we are going to see Dembele and Coutinho at a very high level.”

That’s the end of that chapter, then.

Ousmane Dembele rumours: 2018-2018. RIP.

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Eight Liverpool players will represent seven different nations at this summer's World Cup finals in Russia.

The final 23-man squads for the 32-team tournament were announced on Monday and the Reds will be well represented on the international stage.

The competition kicks off on Thursday June 14, when hosts Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the first match of the group phase, and will conclude with the final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on July 15.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Dejan Lovren, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Simon Mignolet and Marko Grujic will be among those hoping to fire their nation to glory.

And here's the lowdown on when, where and for whom you can see the Liverpool players in action.

Roberto Firmino - Brazil



Group E

Brazil v Switzerland - Jun 17
7pm BST - Rostov Arena, Rostov-On-Don

Brazil v Costa Rica - Jun 22
1pm BST - Saint-Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg

Serbia v Brazil - Jun 27
7pm BST - Spartak Stadium, Moscow

Simon Mignolet - Belgium



Group G

Belgium v Panama - Jun 18
4pm BST - Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Belgium v Tunisia - Jun 23
1pm BST - Spartak Stadium, Moscow

England v Belgium - Jun 28
7pm BST - Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Dejan Lovren - Croatia



Group D

Croatia v Nigeria - Jun 16
8pm BST - Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Argentina v Croatia - Jun 21
7pm BST - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod

Iceland v Croatia - Jun 26
7pm BST - Rostov Arena, Rostov-On-Don

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Mohamed Salah - Egypt



Group A

Egypt v Uruguay - Jun 15
1pm BST - Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg

Russia v Egypt - Jun 19
7pm BST - Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg

Saudi Arabia v Egypt - June 25
3pm BST - Volgograd Arena, Volgograd

Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold - England



Group G

Tunisia v England - Jun 18
7pm BST - Volgograd Arena, Volgograd

England v Panama - Jun 24
1pm BST - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod

England v Belgium - Jun 28
7pm BST - Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Sadio Mane - Senegal



Group H

Poland v Senegal - Jun 19
4pm BST - Spartak Stadium, Moscow

Japan v Senegal - Jun 24
4pm BST - Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg

Senegal v Colombia - Jun 28
3pm BST - Samara Arena, Samara

Serbia - Marko Grujic



Group E

Costa Rica v Serbia - Jun 17
1pm BST - Samara Arena, Samara

Serbia v Switzerland - Jun 22
7pm BST - Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Serbia v Brazil - Jun 27
7pm BST - Spartak Stadium, Moscow

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Liverpool will have to pay a further £115million to further boost their first-team options next season.

And if Jurgen Klopp wants to revive his interest in Christian Pulisic, his spending will have to edge nearer to £200million.

That is according to Swiss-based boffins CIES Football Observatory, who have ranked the top 100 players in Europe's top five leagues using various indicators.

For example, these include factors such as contract duration and transfer fee, along with goals scored, club results, position and the league in which the player performs.

With this algorithm, they have valued the top 100, with Mohamed Salah the most expensive Anfield star at £150million.

But it's who might be joining the Egyptian which is of most interest.

Nabil Fekir, thought to be valued at around £60million by Lyon, is wanted by Liverpool to further strengthen their midfield options.

And CIES value him at £53.7million, lower than what the Ligue 1 club will demand for the 24-year-old playmaker.

The Reds will also look to strengthen their goalkeeping options, with Roma's Alisson one of those being monitored. He has been valued at 75million, while Jan Oblak, who is popular choice amongst supporters, is 74.3million.

Klopp also wants competition for Liverpool's front three, with a flexible forward also a desired arrival.

Pulisic has been linked and the club did have an £11.5million bid rejected in 2016, with Dortmund likely to ask for at least five times that figure now.

The American is valued at 56.7million, 96th on the list, to demonstrate just how costly further improvements could be for Liverpool.

The fine work of Klopp has been highlighted even more because of CIES' top 100 valuations, with 14 of the players having played under, or signed for, the German boss.

While Roberto Firmino (142.6m) and Sadio Mane (91.6m) have increased in value playing for Klopp, the likes of Ciro Immobile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Robert Lewandowksi have also seen their worth rise.

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The transfer gossip surrounding Liverpool comes thick and fast as the World Cup approaches.

Especially from abroad.

Here are the latest Anfield rumours from around the web.



Leon Bailey

Who? Bayer Leverkusen's brand new star, who has burst on to the scene this season with both speed and touch to light up the Bundesliga, scoring nine goals and setting up a further six.

Where? The mysterious Calcio Insider, who claim Bailey is in the 'focus' of Jurgen Klopp, with their supposed source already calling Liverpool's interest in Julian Brandt last summer.

What? Bailey fits the bill of what Liverpool are looking for, but it's worth waiting for something a little bit more substantial before putting his name on the back of your shirt.



Malcolm

Who? Bordeaux's Brazilian attacker, who is capable of playing across the front three, but has mainly worked on the right in Ligue 1 this season. He's notched 11 goals in 33 games and has previously been linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool.

Where? Over in France's blue riband publication, L'Equipe, with the translation coming via Sport Witness. They say the Brazilian is attracting interest from Jurgen Klopp, and the French club want 40million euros. They do suggest, however, that all is quiet on the Malcolm front right now.

What? He has been linked with a Premier League move before, and it appears Wolfsburg have already had a bid rejected. He had a decent season in France, and Bordeaux look keen to cash in.



Sadio Mane

Who? Come on, you know. But it's being claimed Real Madrid have struck a deal with the Senegalese star, with the Spanish side seeing him as their first marquee signing of the summer.

Where? France Football. They believe a fee is yet to be agreed but Mane has given Real his verbal agreement, although it was a deal struck under Zinedine Zidane's tenure before the Frenchman departed.

What? Mane has three years left on his contract and Liverpool will not sell him.

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Jurgen Klopp, Michael Edwards and the other key men driving Liverpool transfer policy this summer under FSG

Jurgen Klopp



Let's start with the obvious one, eh?

Klopp's management style is not like that of Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger, who liked control of just about every aspect of their clubs.

Instead, he is happy to delegate and to listen to the opinion of those around him, be they coaching staff, players, scouts or, on rare occasions, journalists.

Still, he plays a key role in Liverpool's recruitment strategy. It is he who identifies the areas he wishes to improve upon, and his opinion on a player is the most important.

Crucially, too, he is one of Liverpool's big selling points when speaking to potential new recruits. The chance to work under Klopp is a big attraction.

Michael Edwards



Appointed as Liverpool's first ever sporting director in November 2016, 38-year-old Edwards shuns the limelight, preferring to do his business behind the scenes at Anfield.

Edwards is a former professional, though his playing career never made it further than Peterborough's reserves, who moved into the scouting side of the game with Portsmouth in 2003, having earned a degree in business management and informatics at the University of Sheffield.

At Pompey he was taken on as an analyst, working with manager Harry Redknapp. Edwards fulfilled the role of ProZone analyst at Fratton Park.

He moved to Tottenham in 2009, working primarily as an opposition analyst, but followed Damien Comolli to Liverpool two years later.

He managed the analysis side for successive managers from Kenny Dalglish through Brendan Rodgers and now Klopp.

His relationship with Rodgers was known to be somewhat strained, but Klopp speaks highly of him and the pair are in daily contact.

Edwards' job is to lead the club in terms of player identification and recruitment, liaising with the coaching team while negotiating with agents, clubs and chairmen and overseeing the club's vast scouting network.

He, in short, takes the lead on transfers, with the business side of the club left to Peter Moore, the chief executive.

Mike Gordon

As president of Fenway Sports Group, Gordon acts as the bridge between Liverpool's key UK and American figures. He is their most visible presence within the club.



He is the club's second largest shareholder and the most hands-on of FSG in terms of running the club. Gordon was a key figure in the signing of Virgil van Dijk, smoothing over relations with Southampton after the troubles of the summer.

He was central in the hiring of Klopp as manager, and the pair continue to share a good working relationship.

Gordon, who divides his time between Liverpool and Boston, grew up in Milwaukee and enjoyed a hugely successful career in finance prior to getting involved with Henry and Werner.

Gordon was installed on the Liverpool's board of directors when FSG bought the club and since 2012, when he increased his stake in FSG, he has spent more and more of his time on this side of the Atlantic.

“Mike is well known among professional investors as being one of the brightest financial minds in the country,” Henry has said. His role at Liverpool reflects the high regard he is held in.

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Dave Fallows

Poached from Manchester City following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers in 2012, Fallows is Liverpool's head of scouting and recruitment, responsible for co-ordinating the club's worldwide network of scouts with regards to potential targets.

He works closely with Barry Hunter, the club's chief scout, to attend matches, gather information and compile detailed player reports which are accessed by Edwards, Klopp and others.


Liverpool's chief scout Barry Hunter during his playing days

Speaking in November, Klopp credited Fallows and Hunter with playing key roles in the decision to sign Mo Salah from Roma last summer.

“The scouting department was really behind me, and wanted to do it even earlier so that nobody could jump in!” he said.

“We were sure he can help us. Michael Edwards, Dave Fallows and Barry [Hunter], they were really in my ear and were on it: ‘Come on, come on, Mo Salah, he’s the solution!'”

John Achterberg

A surprise name, perhaps, but it is interesting to note the role Achterberg plays in the scouting and recruitment of goalkeepers at Anfield – as well as their coaching.



The Dutchman is known for having an encyclopedic knowledge of goalkeepers from across the world, and his opinion is both sought and valued by Klopp.

Achterberg is sent to scout players and is heavily involved in video analysis of prospective targets.

With Liverpool looking for a new goalkeeper in the summer, expect him to be involved in the process.