Real Madrid – The Empire of The Kop

What Bellingham is now saying about pre-Real Madrid ‘conversations’; likely with Liverpool

Farrell Keeling — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 06:39:57 +0000

Jude Bellingham has opened up once again on his decision to move to Real Madrid this summer.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder had been heavily linked with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool last year, though was persuaded by the project in the Spanish capital.

The 20-year-old admitted he had spoken to other clubs – with the Merseysiders no doubt one of those outfits – but moving to Los Blancos was a ‘no-brainer’.

“I had good chats with loads of clubs – including Dortmund – and my family were great in helping me chew up that information,” the England international was quoted as telling reporters by the Independent.

“It’s difficult while you are still in the season to take in the information and process it and still have to play at the weekend or in the Champions League.

“I had conversations with other teams but when Madrid came in it was a no-brainer really. The size of the club, the project, the plan going forward, the chance to play with such amazing players.

“I just jumped at it. That’s why I made my decision.”

The ex-Bundesliga star has enjoyed a terrific opening campaign with Carlo Ancelotti’s men, registering 30 goal contributions in 34 games (across all competitions) this term.

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Jude Bellingham at Liverpool would have been something

What an opportunity missed for Jurgen Klopp in his final season at Anfield!

That’s not to suggest our recruitment team failed to react appropriately to the news in question.

Alexis Mac Allister has been a revelation this season – (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

The signings of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo are already paying dividends, even if Ryan Gravenberch appears to be one for the future.

Still, we can’t help but wonder at the kind of impact Bellingham would have made in the famous red shirt!

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Footballer now worth £69m admits he could have signed £2.5m Liverpool deal

Farrell Keeling — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:52:18 +0000

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is flying in Liverpool colours in an alternate universe.

The Brazil forward could have joined Jurgen Klopp’s first project early in its iteration in 2017 for a snip at £2.57m.

The ex-Santos man admitted in an interview with the Guardian (relayed on X by Fabrizio Romano) that he instead opted to remain in his homeland. The Anfield-based outfit lost out but it was very much Los Blancos’ gain.

Rodrygo reveals: “I almost joined Liverpool in 2017, the deal was done for €3m”.

“It collapsed because I said no”.

“I wanted to stay at Santos, make history, finish my studies and then leave… even though the offer from #LFC was very good”, told Guardian @thiagorabelo1. pic.twitter.com/kG0tp94YGr

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 8, 2024

Fast forward to 2024 and he’s now worth £69.4m (according to Football Transfers’ estimated transfer value) with a £1bn release clause included in his contract (Daily Mail).

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What could have been for Liverpool

We won’t lose too many nights’ sleep over it. For those who’ve somehow forgotten, our forward line once boasted the ludicrous talents of Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane alongside Mo Salah.

It was, categorically, the most feared forward line in Europe in the first Klopp era that could have yielded two additional Champions League titles.

Rodrygo of Real Madrid – (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The current set-up isn’t bad either, with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz having taken on the torch with aplomb.

Never mind about what could have been – we’re still lucky to have witnessed, and be witnessing, top attacking talent.

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(Video) Liverpool attacker’s Dad touts son’s future move to Real Madrid

Peter Kenny Jones — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:03:25 +0000

Liverpool fans are ready for a big summer of change but are equally hoping that this won’t impact our playing squad, although one man’s father may have other ideas.

Speaking via El VBAR CARACOL in Colombia, Mane Diaz said (translated): “It was hoped that Luis could come to Madrid. Falcao and James were already there… Hope has not been lost. He is playing and the clubs are active.”

It’s far from what any of our supporters would like to be reading about Luis Diaz, especially when it comes from the mouth of his Dad.

Let’s hope that this isn’t a reflection on rumours that may start spreading because of these comments, ahead of an uncertain summer anyway.

You can watch Diaz’s comments on Luis via @VBarCaracol on X:

HABLÓ EL PAPÁ DE LUIS DÍAZ

‘Mane’ Díaz, habló para @La_SER previo al juego Colombia Rumania

“Se aspiraba que Luis pudiese venir a Madrid. Ya Falcao y James estuvieron”

“No se ha perdido la esperanza. Él está jugando y los clubes están activos”

#ElVBarCaracol pic.twitter.com/AVCUpRx1Sz

— El VBAR CARACOL (@VBarCaracol) March 26, 2024

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What Fabrizio Romano is now hearing about Trent Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid

Farrell Keeling — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 15:57:49 +0000

Liverpool appear to be remaining coy over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future on Merseyside.

Fabrizio Romano reported that Real Madrid are keeping a watching brief on the fullback with contract talks yet to open between player and club.

“Now, it is also true, from what I am told that Real Madrid have a concrete interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold,” the CaughtOffside columnist spoke on The Debrief podcast.

“They are monitoring his situation. At the moment there is no direct contact with his agent or with the player because it is still too early. So Real Madrid are closely following the situation.

“Let’s see the next steps. At the moment, from what I am hearing, there is no concrete negotiation between Liverpool and Trent Alexander-Arnold. That is why Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on the situation.”

Romano went on to add: “I think in next weeks, April, May, it will be important to understand if the new structure at Liverpool, with Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, will move to offer a new deal to Trent Alexander-Arnold and how this conversation will go.”

The vice skipper had been enjoying a productive campaign before picking up a knee injury, registering 12 goal contributions in 29 games (across all competitions).

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Trent Alexander-Arnold will likely sign a new contract

Delays in organising contract talks with key players in the squad are more than understandable.

Don’t forget we only recently secured the return of former sporting director Michael Edwards (as CEO of Football) along with now sporting director Richard Hughes.

With those key roles officially boxed off, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some headway made in the coming months – perhaps after a Jurgen Klopp successor is secured.

Trent Alexander-Arnold missed the Carabao Cup final through injury – (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Let’s not be silly over the matter of Trent’s future at Anfield. He’s our vice captain and a genuinely generational talent – what set of decision-makers on earth would willingly sacrifice a player of his quality?

If we were Madrid, we’d keep looking.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment and much more!

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‘Fewer believe…’ – German journalist shares Xabi Alonso claim which could sicken Liverpool fans

Liam Togher — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:36:18 +0000

A reliable German football reporter has shared his latest information on Xabi Alonso, and it doesn’t make for encouraging reading from a Liverpool perspective.

The Bayer Leverkusen boss remains the favourite of many to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer, but his phenomenal work in the Bundesliga has also prompted interest from Bayern Munich, with another of his former clubs in Real Madrid being cited as a possible destination too.

Indeed, writing in his Fact Files for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, Christian Falk claimed that the Bernabeu could be the 42-year-old’s next move once his time at the BayArena concludes.

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The reporter outlined: “Xabi Alonso remains silent about his future. Fewer and fewer believe that it will be Liverpool FC. FC Bayern is also still waiting for a signal from Alonso. Leverkusen officials remain adamant that Alonso will continue to be their coach next season.

“There is now a rumour: Alonso is staying in Leverkusen to become Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at Real Madrid. Ancelotti has extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2026.

“Alonso’s contract in Leverkusen is valid for just as long. Alonso, who also only extended his contract in the summer, could remain loyal to his club – and then return to his home country of Spain.”

About the only thing we can say with much certainly regarding Alonso’s future is that it’s very much in his hands, considering how vastly successful his time at Leverkusen has been.

Were he to request improved terms to stay with the Bundesliga leaders, he could just name his price and the board would surely oblige. In a similar vein, with Liverpool and Bayern both clamouring to get him, he’ll know that he has his pick of either club to the extent that he may be able to dictate matters to a significant degree.

Falk’s assertion that ‘fewer believe’ the 42-year-old will replace Klopp at Anfield could sicken Reds supporters who are pinning their hopes on the Spaniard coming in at the end of May, especially if the plan is for him to play the long game over possibly taking over from Ancelotti in Madrid.

The risk of that possible strategy is that, by the time the Bernabeu job becomes available, Alonso’s stock mightn’t be as lofty as now if Leverkusen regress, or maybe the Los Blancos hierarchy become more enamoured by another coach who’s more in vogue by 2026.

Despite this less than auspicious update from one of Germany’s most trusted journalists, we remain hopeful that Liverpool will ultimately win the race for Alonso’s services, especially now that Richard Hughes is in place as sporting director to step up the manager search.

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European giants ‘exhaustively monitoring’ situation of £180k-p/w Liverpool stalwart – report

Liam Togher — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:05:48 +0000

Liverpool’s renaissance under Jurgen Klopp has seemingly ended the days of top players using Anfield as a stepping stone for a move to a European giant.

However, that hasn’t quelled reports from Spain (via Football Espana) that Real Madrid are keeping a very close watch on the situation of one current Reds stalwart.

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Los Blancos are believed to be ‘exhaustively monitoring’ Trent Alexander-Arnold as he enters the final 15 months of his current £180,000-per-week contract (Capology), in keeping with the LaLiga leaders’ modus operandi of prowling for players entering the final year of their existing deals.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are billed as the clear favourites to land the 25-year-old if he leaves Liverpool, even if there has been no contact as of yet between the two clubs.

There can be an element of silly season to transfer rumours during an international break, and this one falls under that very category.

Trent mightn’t have a whole lot of time remaining on his current contract, but not so little that an exit is inevitable, and the process of tying down Liverpool’s standout players should accelerate now that Richard Hughes has been confirmed as sporting director.

One of the first items in the 44-year-old’s in-tray is to secure new deals for the likes of the vice-captain, along with Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, all of whom are currently due to become free agents on 1 July 2025.

Trent has spoken repeatedly about his pride in representing his boyhood club, and even going into the post-Jurgen Klopp era, the new manager will surely preserve the 25-year-old’s status as one of the leaders in the Anfield dressing room and on the pitch.

We can take the Real Madrid rumours with more than a pinch of salt, in all honesty. We can’t see the West Derby native packing his bags for the Spanish capital any time soon.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment and much more!

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42-year-old tipped to replace Klopp has been urged to snub Liverpool

Saikat Chatterjee — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 14:30:00 +0000

Liverpool are on the lookout for a new manager and Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is one of the names on their radar.

Alonso has had great success at Liverpool as a player. Despite that, former German player Lothar Matthaüs feels the 42-year-old should not return to the Merseyside club.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Matthaus talked about the fact that Alonso has unfinished business at Leverkusen and he should stay at the club for longer.

The former German international feels there will be too much pressure on the former Liverpool midfielder at Anfield. It won’t be easy to replicate the kind of results Jurgen Klopp has managed. As a result, he should stay in Germany and continue to grow as a manager.

Mattaus said on Gazzetta dello Sport via SportWitness: “I think his job at Leverkusen is not finished: he was a coach before he sat on the bench and that helps him. It would be difficult to repeat Klopp’s results immediately, while in the Bundesliga he is more protected to grow and win. Then there will be time to go to a big team, maybe Real Madrid.”

Real Madrid ready to pay £70m+ for Liverpool stalwart to replace 5-time Champions League winner

Liam Togher — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 19:30:55 +0000

According to reports from Spain, Real Madrid are prepared to dig deep into their pockets to try and lure one Liverpool stalwart to the Bernabeu next year.

Fichajes claimed that Carlo Ancelotti’s side are ‘willing to put an offer of more than €80m [£70m] on the table’ for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who they have in mind as the long-term successor to five-time Champions League winner Dani Carvajal at right-back.

The report stated that while the current manager is highly likely to depart the LaLiga giants at the end of this season, he’d still sanction any possible move for the 25-year-old.

It was reported by 90min in September that Real Madrid were showing an ‘active interest’ in Trent, with Liverpool seeking to finalise terms over a possible long-term contract at Anfield for the England international.

It duly seems that Los Blancos have had the Reds academy graduate in mind for some time, and with him being nearly seven years younger than Carvajal, they may view him as the perfect replacement for the Bernabeu stalwart in the long-term.

However, with LFC’s number 66 being named vice-captain in the summer, and him being a proud Liverpudlian living out his childhood dream, there’s plenty of incentive for him to remain on Merseyside and win more trophies with his boyhood club.

Of course, nothing can be taken for granted in the modern transfer market, but with Trent going from breakout academy talent to a first-team pillar with nearly 300 senior appearances under Jurgen Klopp, he’s been shown enormous faith by his manager.

Even the allure of 14-time European champions Real Madrid mightn’t be enough to entice the 25-year-old away from Anfield, so if Bernabeu chiefs want to find their successor to Carvajal, they may need to divert their attention elsewhere.

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Liverpool could yet again be thwarted by familiar foes in transfer race for 22y/o who Klopp adores

Liam Togher — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:50:35 +0000

Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fans must be positively sick of the sight of Real Madrid, both on and off the pitch.

Not only have Los Blancos dashed our Champions League hopes in each of the last three seasons (and four of the last six), they also beat the Reds to the signings of both Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham over the past 18 months – and they may be poised to do so again over another mutual target.

According to AS, both clubs (along with Manchester United) are interested in signing Goncalo Inacio, and it’s reported that the Sporting Lisbon defender ‘would give priority’ to a move to the Bernabeu.

The Liverpool hierarchy may well have that sinking feeling yet again when it comes to a transfer target who’s also wanted by Real Madrid.

If the 22-year-old’s preference is to join Carlo Ancelotti’s side next year, the Reds could have a significant challenge on their hands to try and convince the player of a move to Anfield instead, despite Steve Kay telling the Empire of the Kop podcast in September that Inacio has been Klopp’s ‘number one target’ at centre-back.

The Portugal defender – who has a release clause of €60m (£52.3m) – is renowned for his excellent distribution, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers in Europe over the last 12 months for progressive passes per game (8.96) and the top 6% for pass completion (89.3%), as per FBref.

Liverpool will surely be determined not to let Real Madrid oust them for a player yet again, so Jorg Schmadtke and co might spare no effort in trying to persuade the Sporting Lisbon gem to choose them over Los Blancos.

If it comes off, it’d look like a masterstroke signing. If it doesn’t, at least we have a hugely prodigious centre-back of our own coming through in Jarell Quansah.

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(Video) Bad blood between ex-Liverpool duo continues as full-time whistle met with brawl

Liam Togher — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:33:29 +0000

Fernando Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa were teammates at Liverpool for two years between 2007 and 2009, but the duo have struck up a feud now that they’re on opposite sides of a deep-rooted city rivalry as coaches.

The pair are in charge of the Atletico and Real Madrid youth teams respectively, with the sides facing off over the weekend as the former prevailed 2-1.

During another derby clash earlier this year, the former Anfield duo squared up to each other on the touchline (talkSPORT), and the animosity seemed apparent once again in recent days.

A video clip shared on social media by Marca shows losing manager Arbeloa staring darkly at Torres in the opposite technical area upon the full-time whistle being blown and walking straight back towards the dressing rooms without acknowledging his ex-Liverpool teammate.

A few seconds later, players from both teams indulged in a mass brawl on the pitch, as hostilities between the city rivals overspilled.

It’s a shame that there now seems to be such bad blood between the duo who both played their part in the Reds almost winning the Premier League in 2008/09 now have such bad blood between them, but that appears an inevitable consequence of their direct Madrid coaching rivalry.

You can see the incident with Arbeloa and Torres below, via @Marca on Twitter/X:

Pitido final, conato de tangana entre los jugadores y Torres se 'venga' de Arbeloa, metiéndose directo al vestuario tras el acabar el partido

El Atleti se lleva el derbi juvenil 2-1 pic.twitter.com/mV4ZRoCqOX

— MARCA (@marca) October 29, 2023

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Two clubs may have edge over Liverpool for Xabi Alonso – but he could still be Klopp’s successor

Liam Togher — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 10:31:45 +0000

According to reports from Germany, Liverpool are one of three clubs with whom Xabi Alonso has an ‘agreement’ regarding a potential managerial stint in the future.

SportBILD claimed [via Sport Witness] that the 41-year-old has a clause in his contract at Bayer Leverkusen which’d allow him to depart next summer if the Reds – or two of his other alma maters in Real Madrid and Bayern Munich – were to offer him the manager’s job.

The hierarchy at the BayArena are ‘currently doing everything then can to satisfy their coach, believing that they are on the path to success with him in charge’, although the LaLiga giants are already reported to have eyed him up as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at the Bernabeu.

Of the three clubs involved in the reported agreement, Liverpool probably seem the least likely to hire Alonso next summer.

Ancelotti’s contract in Madrid expires in 2024, with the ex-Chelsea boss touted to take the Brazil national team job, while Thomas Tuchel could possibly be on thin ice at Bayern amid claims that honorary president Uli Hoeness ‘continues to stir up managerial winds behind the scenes’ in Munich.

By contrast, Jurgen Klopp is contracted at Anfield until 2026 and has a mountain of credit in the bank among the fan base.

However, even if Alonso were to take the manager’s job at the Bernabeu or Allianz Arena next year, there’s still a good chance that he’d ultimately take over from the current Liverpool boss on Merseyside.

Real Madrid and Bayern have both sacked coaches in the past despite them leading – or even winning – their domestic league, a cut-throat culture which is in marked contrast to that at LFC.

By the time Klopp goes in 2026 (as per the current plan), Alonso may well be on the market again if one of his other previous clubs both hires and fires him in the meantime, and he’d very likely be given the scope to properly make his mark in the Anfield dugout.

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Liverpool handed a boost with Real Madrid’s stance on Klopp’s preferred Salah successor – report

Liam Togher — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:24:12 +0000

According to reports from Spain, Liverpool have been handed a boost to their hopes of landing the player who’s apparently Jurgen Klopp’s preferred long-term successor to Mo Salah at Anfield.

El Nacional have claimed that Real Madrid are open to accepting offers in the region of €100m (£87m) for Rodrygo, who’s deemed to have struggled at the Bernabeu since being redeployed at centre-forward to fill the void left by Karim Benzema’s summer departure.

The hierarchy at the LaLiga club ‘cannot hide the terrible disappointment they feel’ with the Brazil international, with speculation duly mounting about a potential departure at the end of the season.

The report adds that Rodrygo is considered ‘Klopp’s chosen one’ to replace Salah at Liverpool whenever the Egyptian’s time on Merseyside ends, amid the 31-year-old being strongly linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League earlier this month (The Guardian).

We’d take these reports with a pinch of salt, primarily because they suggest that Liverpool’s number 11 would ‘consider packing his suitcases’ for Saudi Arabia next year, even though his contract runs until 2025 and his agent recently reaffirmed the forward’s loyalty to his current club.

Also, why would the Reds spend nearly £100m on a player in a position where there’s no need for reinforcements as things stand, especially when other parts of the squad require more urgent attention in 2024?

While it’s true that Rodrygo hasn’t taken flight at centre-forward so far this term, netting just once in seven games (Transfermarkt), he’s been pulled out of his preferred position to try and fill the huge void left by the exit of a club legend in Benzema.

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If it’s true that the 22-year-old is Klopp’s preference as Salah’s long-term successor at Liverpool, we’re all for it, but again we’d be sceptical of that claim considering the ongoing links with other wide attackers such as Jarrod Bowen.

In any event, all such speculation is moot so long as the Egyptian King is happy at Anfield and continuing to produce the goods, with him currently on a 13-match sequence in which he’s either scored or set up a goal for his club.

At least it seems that Real Madrid could be willing to offload Rodrygo if the Reds feel a need to move for him in the future.

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(Video) Ian Wright claims Liverpool ace with ‘foot on the pedal’ is clear of Real Madrid counterpart

Liam Togher — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:34:33 +0000

Ian Wright has voiced his belief that Liverpool forward Mo Salah is even better than his Real Madrid counterpart Vinicius Jr.

The BBC pundit was asked to choose between the two during an appearance on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, and his answer would’ve elicited nods of approval from anyone of a Reds persuasion.

The former Arsenal striker explained: “What you have to say about Mo is that when Liverpool signed him from Roma, you kind of went ‘Mo Salah?’.

“He’s not looked back. That man’s just got in the fast lane and has still got his foot on the pedal. That’s why these people [Al-Ittihad] are offering crazy money…I’m going to say Mo Salah for what he’s done.”

Vinicius is undoubtedly a fantastic footballer who, as Liverpool discovered to their cost in the 2022 Champions League final, is a man for the big occasion. He can boast a solid overall output, too, with 60 goals and 64 assists in 228 games for his club (Transfermarkt), a fine return for a 23-year-old.

However, he needs to replicate that for another few years if he’s to get to the levels that Salah has reached at Anfield, with the Egyptian our fifth-highest scorer of all time with 189 goals in 311 appearances (Transfermarkt).

He’s continuing to produce the goods consistently, too, with his late strike against LASK on Thursday making it 12 successive LFC matches in which he’s either scored or set up a goal.

We wouldn’t swap The Egyptian King for any other player in the world, it’s that simple.

You can see Wright’s comments below (from 12:22), via Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE on YouTube):

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Liverpool and Real Madrid could vie for £105k-p/w wiz; won 8 duels in UCL game this week – report

Liam Togher — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 08:16:01 +0000

According to reports from Spain, Liverpool and Real Madrid could go head-to-head in the race to sign an attacker who might yield a nine-figure transfer fee.

Fichajes have claimed that the two European giants are looking at a potential move for Rafael Leao, who’s impressed scouts from Merseyside and the Spanish capital ‘due to his versatility, speed and ability to score goals’.

The AC Milan attacker is believed to be open to joining either club because of their ‘magnitude and prestige’, although the Rossoneri are set to demand at least €150m (£130m) as they consider the 24-year-old ‘a fundamental piece in their project’.

Leao – who earns just over £105k per week (Capology) – has an impressive track record in Italy, with 40 goals and 30 assists in 134 Serie A appearances, registering four goal contributions across his last three league games (Transfermarkt).

Although he and his Milan teammates were frustrated by Newcastle in the Champions League in midweek, he made life difficult for Eddie Howe’s side by winning a team-high eight duels, completing three dribbles, taking two shots and creating one ‘big chance’ (Sofascore).

The 6 foot 3 winger can certainly be a handful for opposition defences, and he boasts the ability to play anywhere across the forward line (Transfermarkt), thus affording tremendous tactical flexibility to any coach who works with him.

While Leao certainly seems an exciting talent, we’d be inclined not to get too carried away by the reports from Spain.

Liverpool are already well stocked in attack, with other parts of the squad likely to be given greater priority in January, and it might be hard to envisage the Reds spending £130m on him when taking that into account.

Nonetheless, it’ll be intriguing to see if anything further develops in this regard throughout the autumn, and whether the Portuguese forward can continue his recent fine form at the San Siro.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Liverpool’s challenge before January transfer window, mentality monsters back? Reds player ‘hung out to dry’ and much more!

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(Video) Real Madrid could turn Alexander-Arnold’s head amidst contract talks at Liverpool – report

Peter Kenny Jones — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 20:39:07 +0000

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been linked with signing a new contract at Liverpool which would extend his stay at Anfield but one journalist seems to think that Real Madrid could be a reason for our No.66 to leave Merseyside.

Speaking on BBC Sounds’ Football Gossip Daily, The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson said: “If Klopp was to leave, a new person comes in and maybe it doesn’t sort of quite match, or at that point maybe Trent himself thinks, ‘you know what? I’ve been here this long…’

“And if Real Madrid come knocking for you seriously, whoever you are, I think it’s very difficult because you only get one career and wow it’s Real Madrid. I don’t care who you support, they have a certain cache that club”.

It does seem as though the journalist thinks that a move to Spain could be a destination for the Scouser in the long-term future and not right now but it’s certainly not a link that anyone of a red persuasion will enjoy hearing.

Given his lifelong ties with the Reds, we all hope that the 24-year-old can see out his career at the club and go on to captain the team that he’s followed all his life – never swaying by any moves for funds or fortune elsewhere.

You can watch Jackon’s comments on Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid via BBC Sport and BBC Sounds:

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Liverpool’s challenge before January transfer window, mentality monsters back? Reds player ‘hung out to dry’ and much more!

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