Dean Jones – The Empire of The Kop

‘I spoke to someone…’ – Journalist has heard great things from inside Liverpool about 20y/o wiz

Liam Togher — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 12:02:50 +0000

Dean Jones has issued a glowing assessment of one Liverpool youngster, having received the inside track on him from a source at Anfield.

The journalist was discussing Conor Bradley during a recent appearance on the Ranks FC Podcast, and he couldn’t speak highly enough of the 20-year-old mentality as he eyes up a long-lasting career at the top level in England.

Jones said: “It’s interesting when you look at Conor Bradley’s upbringing. He grew up playing Gaelic football and being a great cross-country runner.

“When you understand those things and watch the way Conor Bradley plays football, it all comes together. He’s so tough and he has this other side to him where he seems very down to earth.

“I spoke to someone at Liverpool who says he’s genuinely such a good lad and he wants to be the best version of himself that he can, and that’s really encouraging in a 20-year-old footballer.”

An in-dpeth article in The Athletic last month detailed how Bradley had an elite mindset even in his childhood, along with how he’d soak up information and advice from his coaches across the various sports that he played.

That determination for success, along with a humility and desire for constant learning, should stand him in very good stead throughout his career, and those endorsements come as no surprise when you look at how he’s performed for Liverpool this season.

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Thrust in at the deep end after Trent Alexander-Arnold got injured during the winter, the 20-year-old took to the Reds’ first team like a duck to water, with his first senior goal for the club in the 4-1 win over Chelsea a deserving reward for his tremendous performances.

Bradley’s mental toughness was also borne out in how he’s continued to impress even after the personal tragedy of his father’s death in early February.

When footballers break through at a high level before they turn 21, it can be easy for them to fall into the trap of believing their own hype and displaying undesirable traits on and/or off the pitch.

Liverpool won’t have to worry about that with the Northern Ireland youngster, who from everything we know about him is already a model professional.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

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Journalist hearing Liverpool about to move to ‘next stage of talks’ with managerial candidate

Farrell Keeling — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:06:48 +0000

Liverpool are keen on making Ruben Amorim their next manager after Xabi Alonso opted to stay put with Bayer Leverkusen.

The good news for the Reds is that it very much appears the feeling is mutual for the Portuguese head coach.

Niko Kovac has been surprisingly linked with the Liverpool job – (Photo by Cathrin Mueller/Getty Images)

Dean Jones now reports that talks with the 39-year-old are going relatively smoothly and that the next round of talks is expected to occur as soon as the Merseysiders’ ‘contact with Sporting becomes active’.

“I do think there is confidence in finding an agreement over making Amorim their manager, but there has always been an acceptance that it would not be sorted out fast,” the journalist told GIVEMESPORT.

“As far as I am aware, nothing has gone wrong with early contacts and this is a case of sorting details around him becoming the next manager.

“The fact he is keen on moving to Liverpool as his next step is key and, while there is no actual agreement yet reached, this will soon move on to the next stage of talks when Liverpool’s contact with Sporting becomes active.”

Sporting Lisbon restored their seven-point buffer over Benfica with a 1-0 win over Famalicao yesterday.

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Next Liverpool manager: Ruben Amorim to Anfield?

It seems a matter of time before Amorim trades his green armband for the red of Liverpool.

The former Braga boss did appear to allude to the possibility of following in Alonso’s footsteps and extending his stay in Portugal.

Ruben Amorim o of Sporting Lisbon – (Photo by MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP via Getty Images)

In our mind, however, this is merely talk designed to cut short the ongoing questions over his future.

Should Amorim pick up a second league title this term… what else is left to achieve in the Primeira Liga?

If not Amorim, then who?

Former FC Bayern boss Niko Kovac is the latest surprising name to be linked with Liverpool.

As Neil Jones made clear in his latest column with EOTK Insider, however, this very much seems like agent talk.

Could Simone Inzaghi enter the frame? – (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Admittedly, if Amorim does say ‘no’ to the opportunity at Anfield this summer, it leaves us in something of a pickle.

The Portuguese coach does seem the least problematic of the remaining candidates on paper.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

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Journo says 25-y/o Liverpool man ‘might look for a transfer’ if game time doesn’t improve

Max Rudd — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 22:10:45 +0000

Liverpool may have earned a point against against Manchester City on Saturday in what was a great result for Jurgen Klopp’s side but the game brought with it some disappointment for the Anfield outfit.

Diogo Jota was substituted in the second after appearing to pick up an injury while Alisson Becker played the full game but was clutching his hamstring during the final stages of the clash.

The full extent of the two injuries are yet to be discovered, however, but if our No. 1 is set for a spell on the sidelines it will open up an opportunity for Caoimhin Kelleher to deputise – a player who ‘might look for a transfer’ if his game time at L4 doesn’t improve according to journalist Dean Jones.

“Yeah, I think Alisson is probably more of a concern than Jota just because of the fact that Liverpool have got a lot of options that can alternate with Jota,” Jones told GIVEMESPORT. “But obviously, it’s not ideal, because you don’t want to lose him again.

“In terms of Kelleher, it’s something that he’s been crying out for. If he doesn’t get a chance properly at Liverpool this season, you do wonder if he might look for a transfer. There are certainly loads of clubs that have been sniffing around that situation over the course of this year.”

Kelleher is a brilliant ‘keeper in his own right but has understandably had to settle for a spot behind Alisson in Klopp’s pecking order.

The Ireland international has impressed when called upon down the years by our German tactician and it would be somewhat understandable if he was to push for a move away from the club.

It’s difficult for a player of his talent to spend so much time on the bench but the 25-year-old will be aware of how much he’s developed just from training alongside the ex-Roma man.

We certainly hope Alisson’s and Jota’s injuries are not too serious, but the prospect of our No. 62 receiving an extended run in the side is something that he’ll be looking to make the most of.

Premier League clubs, including Spurs, Brentford and Brighton (according to Irish Independent), were believed to be some of the sides interested in Kelleher towards the back end of last season with Klopp previously saying only an ‘extraordinary offer’ would make him consider selling the shot stopper.

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‘Look at Szoboszlai’ – Journo claims £55m EPL enigma would’ve thrived under Klopp at Liverpool

Liam Togher — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 09:36:53 +0000

One journalist has claimed that Jurgen Klopp would’ve extracted ‘more’ out of Mason Mount at Liverpool than what Erik ten Hag has done so far at Manchester United.

The Merseysiders had been linked with the 24-year-old for several months earlier this year before he eventually opted for a move to Old Trafford for £55m in the summer (BBC Sport).

The Reds signed Dominik Szoboszlai instead, with the Hungarian earning rave reviews for his performances at Anfield, in contrast to the false start that the former Chelsea playmaker has had at his new club.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dean Jones believes that Klopp would’ve found a way to incorporate Mount into Liverpool’s line-up so that his potential would be maximised, something which hasn’t happened yet at United.

The journalist said: “I’m sure Liverpool don’t dedicate a huge amount [and] don’t have time to the fact that they didn’t get Mount, but if you were to ask them how they feel about that situation now, I still feel like Klopp would believe he’d be getting more out of him than Man United are getting out of Mount.

“I think that he would have found a role for him within his team that is better suited towards him and he would have found a way of making sure that Mount was more beneficial to Liverpool’s setup than he has been to United’s setup.

“If you look at Szoboszlai and what he’s been able to do in such a short amount of time, I think that Mount would have been expected by Klopp to have a similar impact as that.”

Eleven games into his United career, Mount is still waiting for his first goal at the club, with his only 90-minute appearance coming in their 3-0 Carabao Cup thrashing by Newcastle recently (Transfermarkt).

By contrast, Szoboszlai has netted twice for Liverpool in 16 matches, starting every Premier League game up to this point and being ever-present in the top flight until his 66th-minute substitution at Luton last weekend (Transfermarkt).

Klopp has had a knack for elevating players to a different level under his stewardship at Anfield, with the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Andy Robertson, Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk becoming genuine global stars following their moves to the Reds.

He could well have done the same with the very talented Mount had the Englishman favoured us over United, but the success of the Hungarian playmaker will leave the LFC hierarchy with no great regrets over how the summer transfer window played out.

He could yet come good at Old Trafford, although Jones’ belief that the 24-year-old would’ve integrated into Liverpool’s team more seamlessly is a valid one, especially with Ten Hag’s side being so inconsistent and at times incoherent this season.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 11 Review : The Fantasy week from HELL, the Doku & Jackson show & xG paying off

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‘The potential to happen…’ – Transfer insider talks up Liverpool’s chances of one January swoop

Liam Togher — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:36:50 +0000

Dean Jones has said that one ongoing Liverpool transfer rumour has clear ‘potential to happen’ in 2024.

The Reds have been linked with Andre Trindade for several months and had even submitted a bid of around €25m (£21.8m) in August (ESPN), only for Fluminense to reject it as they wanted to keep him for their tilt at Copa Libertadores glory, which has taken them all the way to the final.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist believes that Jurgen Klopp is still ‘missing’ a truly reliable presence at the base of midfield, adding that the 22-year-old is a player for whom LFC are ‘definitely’ considering a move.

Jones said: “Andre is definitely still one of the guys that they are tempted to sign. He has been looked at by various clubs, and this Brazilian market is clearly one that a lot of English sides are tapping into at the moment. This is a genuine link and a transfer that does have the potential to happen.”

Despite Wataru Endo joining in mid-August, Klopp has gone with Alexis Mac Allister in the number 6 role for almost every game so far this season, a ploy which has been questioned by some pundits who feel that the Argentine isn’t entirely suited to that position.

Liverpool still seem too easy to play through at times, even if the midfield as a whole is far more energetic than what it had been for almost all of 2022/23, so it’s understandable why the Reds continue to be linked with the likes of Andre.

Anfield chiefs reportedly remain ‘optimistic‘ about seeing off Arsenal’s apparent interest in the Fluminense anchor, who was his team’s second-highest rated performer by Sofascore in their 1-0 defeat to Red Bull Bragantino at the weekend.

If he can help his club to defeat Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final next month and win the trophy for the first time, he might then get their blessing to land his lucrative move to Europe, and ideally to Merseyside.

Just as patience eventually paid off in the pursuit of Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool’s persistent interest in the Brazilian could ultimately see them get their man in January.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Pundit says Liverpool will soon have to complete ‘very tricky process’; player told he’s ‘got a big decision to make’

Max Rudd — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 07:40:03 +0000

Liverpool will soon have a ‘very tricky process’ to complete when the time comes to find a replacement for Mo Salah, that’s according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 31-year-old is under contract at Anfield until the summer of 2025 but was the subject of a £150m bid from Saudi Arabia during the previous window (The Standard) and it’s expected the Saudi Pro League sides will continue their interest next year.

Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane is one of the players that has been linked with a move to L4 recently with The Mirror claiming that the Germany international is Jurgen Klopp’s ‘No. 1 target to replace’ the Egyptian King.

“He [Sane] has got a big decision to make himself about whether he wants to stay in Germany or come back to the Premier League, and those conversations aren’t too far away at Bayern Munich,” Jones told GIVEMESPORT (as quoted by Football365).

“But there is still that uncertainty for me over whether Liverpool do directly replace Salah or look within that squad right now to see if they’ve already got options there that can help them by.

“Actually moving into life beyond Mo Salah is a very tricky process because he has obviously been so influential to the success that they’ve had.”

We’re currently pretty well stocked in the attacking department but if Salah was to move on it would be extremely hard to find a replacement. There aren’t many players in world football that offer the consistency and the work rate of our No. 11.

He already has 10 goal contributions in as many games for Liverpool this term and although he’s now the wrong side of 30 he appears to be getting better and better each year.

As well as scoring goals he’s also now creating them and his absence would be felt massively if he was to move on anytime soon.

Sane, meanwhile, is a brilliant player in his own right and has also started the campaign well for the Bundesliga champions with seven goals in 11 games.

Like with Salah, the former Manchester City man’s current deal expires in the summer of 2025 meaning if the players do not move on at the end of the season there is the prospect of losing them for free the following year.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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‘Could actually go and do it…’ – Journo makes bold prediction regarding Ben Doak at Liverpool

Liam Togher — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 06:43:55 +0000

Dean Jones has made a confident prediction regarding Ben Doak at Liverpool.

The 17-year-old has already forged his way into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad at Anfield, starting two matches over the past fortnight and being one of the stars of pre-season for the Reds.

The Scottish teenager is currently the natural right-sided understudy to Mo Salah in LFC’s attack and will hope to one day step into the void whenever the Egyptian departs – something which could’ve happened already considering the strong interest in him from Saudi Arabia.

Jones believes that Liverpool mightn’t need to spend big on bringing in a replacement for the 31-year-old when he leaves, as they could already have one in Doak.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “To understand for themselves whether they’re going to need to into the market and sign a premium attacker or if they already have one here at their fingertips… I think that honestly, he [Doak] could actually go and do it, especially as Liverpool do already have a cast of forwards that they could lean on to rotate with him.

“I know that there aren’t necessarily obvious candidates to be Mohamed Salah, but even Dominik Szoboszlai can go out onto the right side if needed. I think Doak should be made to feel like he can have a bigger role at Liverpool once Salah goes.”

It’s quite the backing by Jones to suggest that the 17-year-old is capable of stepping up to be Salah’s long-term successor at Liverpool.

Players come and go in football, but few will be harder to replace than the Egyptian, who’s blasted his way into the top five all-time leading goalscorers in Anfield history and displayed an incredible consistency which has seen him net at least 23 goals in each of his six full season at the club (Transfermarkt).

He’s currently on a 13-match sequence in which he’s either scored himself or provided an assist, proving to be one of the most reliable attackers in the world.

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However, it’s a testament to how well Doak has performed in his embryonic career that he’s been backed to fill the Salah void when the time comes to do so. The young Scot has shown vast confidence in his first-team outings thus far, displaying an ability to take on opponents and leave them for dead with his searing pace.

If he does prove capable of stepping up to become a first-team stalwart at Anfield, he could save Liverpool millions in the transfer market.

It’s asking quite a lot of him to be the Egyptian’s long-term successor, and we don’t want to burden him with such a mammoth challenge too early, but that he’s even been regarded in that conversation shows the scale of the potential within the teenager’s locker.

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Declan Rice example could see Liverpool land Mo Salah clone – journalist

Farrell Keeling — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 19:48:28 +0000

Dean Jones has suggested that Jarrod Bowen could follow ex-West Ham man Declan Rice’s example by potentially joining Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

The English attacker has been heavily linked with the Reds in recent years and could be considered a potential option to replace Mo Salah should the Egyptian part ways with the Reds in the coming windows.

“There’s going to come a time when Bowen will have options to leave West Ham and I think you’ll consider it as well,” the reporter told GIVEMESPORT (via West Ham Zone).

“It’s not that he will want to leave, but he’ll see for example, what’s happened to Declan Rice and the rise in profile that he’s just had since leaving West Ham.

“You can just see the aura around Rice since leaving that he felt ready for something a bit bigger. And while West Ham is a big club, it’s not as big as an Arsenal or a Liverpool or a Man United. And at some point, Bowen is going to have that opportunity.

“I think that Liverpool will continue monitoring Bowen, as they’ve admired him for quite a while and knowing that the Salah exit probably isn’t too far away, now they should still be looking at it.”

Few expect such an eventuality to come to pass in January, especially in light of the 31-year-old’s scintillating start to the 2023/24 campaign.

The ‘if’ question continues to persist, however, and one might imagine that our recruitment team has already begun plugging away, searching for potential solutions to what would be a cosmic Liverpool problem.

The boat has surely sailed for Jarrod Bowen…

An in-depth look at possible replacements over at The Athletic saw Mark Carey and Andy Jones suggest the ‘outstanding’ (FouFourTwo) Hammers ace as a ‘Premier League-ready replacement’.

Posting numbers that compare well to Salah’s metrics ‘within a far less possession-dominant side’, we’d be surprised if the wide man didn’t feature somewhere on the shortlist.

Could Jarrod Bowen replace Mo Salah? – (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

That said, we struggle to see a world in which we seriously contemplate a 27-year-old – the age Bowen will turn next summer – as a top-of-the-list option to fill our No.11’s boots.

As brilliant as we feel the Englishman is, we fear, should our Egyptian King indeed in 2024, that the boat has sailed for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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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‘One-club man’ – Journo believes ‘absolutely insane’ 24 y/o will never leave Liverpool

Max Rudd — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 06:35:16 +0000

Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the first names on Jurgen Klopp’s team sheet when available and the Scouser has now been tipped to remain a Liverpool player for the rest of his career.

The 24-year-old broke into the first team back in 2016 and has never looked back with his world-class passing ability setting him apart from most other full-backs.

The England international is set to sign a new long-term deal at Anfield which will see him earn £250,000 per week and journalist Dean Jones believes the Academy graduate will want to be a ‘one-club man’.

“I think we’re getting towards a case now where Alexander-Arnold doesn’t ever play for another club,” Jones told GIVEMESPORT. “I think that this could be him now. I don’t see where Alexander-Arnold would have the desire to move on to unless someone like Barcelona or Real Madrid were to come in for him. Where would Alexander-Arnold’s motivation come from to leave Liverpool? There’s not much better to be a one-club man. I think that that’s probably now where his sights will be set.”

Alexander-Arnold’s current deal runs until 2025 but the new contract that is believed to be on the table will see him add a further two years to his stay at L4.

It’s clear that Liverpool are a much better side when the Scouser is in the starting XI with his ability to unlock defences with his superb vision.

The right back, who our German tactician has previously labelled as ‘absolutely insane’ (as quoted by Daily Mail), is just two shy of Andy Robertson’s Premier League record for assists by a defender (57) with both of their numbers expected to increase in the coming seasons.

Towards the back end of last season and before sustaining a hamstring injury against Aston Villa earlier this month our No. 66 had been deployed in an inverted role which sees him step into midfield when we have the ball.

Our opponents haven’t quite learnt how to deal with Klopp’s impressive tactical tweak but without Trent in the side against Wolves last weekend we struggled for creativity – especially during the first half.

We hope he can put pen to paper on his new deal sooner rather than later so that he can focus on getting the team back to where we belong and challenging on all four fronts.

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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‘A possibility’ – Journalist hints Liverpool could be in the ‘conversation’ to sign 24y/o in January

Liam Togher — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:29:44 +0000

One journalist believes that Liverpool could be in the ‘conversation’ to raid a fellow Premier League club for one of their key players in the January transfer window.

As per Football Insider and 90min, the Reds have recently been linked with Lloyd Kelly, with Tottenham and Newcastle also believed to be interested in the Bournemouth defender.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dean Jones hinted that Jurgen Klopp might feel a need to go after the 24-year-old when the market reopens in the winter.

The journalist said: “There’s a possibility that Liverpool could join the race on that one. It’s a bit of a strange situation in the way that it kind of fizzled out at the end of the transfer window, and Tottenham were obviously the hottest link to him at that point.

“But when you consider what Liverpool might be needing in the January transfer window as they start to tweak the squad, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise at all if they were mentioned again in the Lloyd Kelly conversation.”

With all four of Liverpool’s summer signings being midfielders, it was obvious what part of the squad took priority for the Anfield recruitment team over the past few months.

A spate of midfield departures made that focus a necessity, but with Klopp’s options in that area of the pitch nicely reinvigorated, the attention may well switch to defensive reinforcements in January, as Jones has hinted.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is currently the only senior natural right-back we have, with Conor Bradley sidelined until November at the earliest, while the recent absences of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have put our centre-back depth to the test.

Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have stepped up commendably over the last couple of games, with Jarell Quansah also showing signs of early promise, although the Cameroon international will be out of contract next summer.

Also, many of our current central defenders have been prone to injury issues throughout their respective Reds careers, as was starkly illustrated during the troublesome 2020/21 season when the inexperienced Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams were thrown in at the deep end for a period.

Signing Kelly would give Liverpool an option who’d help towards the homegrown quota, is primarily left-footed (unlike those at Anfield who play in his position) and should be coming into his peak years (he turns 25 next month).

He could well be regarded as a primary target for Klopp in January, depending on the centre-back situation at that time, and we reckon the LFC recruitment team will be keeping a close watch on the Bournemouth defender over the coming months.

#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Journalist claims Liverpool have bagged a ‘bargain’ with ‘under the radar’ summer transfer coup

Liam Togher — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 20:23:09 +0000

One journalist has said that Liverpool landed a ‘bargain’ in the summer with one of the best signings made by any club during the transfer window.

Even as the Reds’ most expensive acquisition of 2023 for £60m (BBC Sport), Dominik Szoboszlai is already looking like he’ll prove to be tremendous value for money judging by his first few performances for the club.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dean Jones has hailed it as a masterstroke coup, describing it as ‘under the radar’ given how quickly the Hungarian was signed in early July, rather than arriving after a protracted saga.

The journalist said: “I think Szoboszlai could prove to be one of the signings of the summer yeah. Because of the level of his deal, not being massive and not being small, it did kind of come through as one that crept under the radar.

“Even at £60m, I think Szoboszlai could end up being a bit of a bargain. He can play so many different roles within the team that I think will benefit Liverpool, that over the course of the season, you’re going to see what a fantastic all-round player he is.”

Such has been the 22-year-old’s initial impact at Liverpool that he’s already drawn comparisons to the legendary Xabi Alonso for the manner in which he’s endeared himself to the Kop with his combination of fantastic technique and combative tackling ability (Neil Jones).

Szoboszlai’s first goal for the Reds was one to remember, exquisitely striking first-time from just outside the penalty area to open the scoring in last Sunday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

Jones’ observation about the Hungarian’s ability to play in numerous roles is a fair one, too – he’s lined out all across the midfield and attack during his career so far (Transfermarkt), a versatility which could be incredibly useful as Jurgen Klopp attempts to manage his squad through a hectic campaign.

It’s a sign of the times that £60m signings are being perceived as bargains – just 15 years ago that would’ve been a world-record fee (Transfermarkt).

However, in the same manner that £67m for Alisson or £75m for Virgil van Dijk now looks like money very well spent, we could be talking about Liverpool’s outlay for Szoboszlai in equally hallowed terms.

#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Journo provides yet another worrying Salah update amid Saudi interest

Max Rudd — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:00:42 +0000

Despite Liverpool insisting Mo Salah is not for sale and the Egyptian’s agent explaining that the player would not have signed a new deal last summer if he was planning to leave the club, reports continue to link the 31-year-old with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad are believed to be willing to splash more than £120m on our No. 11’s signature (90min) with the transfer window in the Middle East remaining open until September 20 while the Premier League window closes at 11pm tonight.

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Journalist Dean Jones has provided somewhat of a frustrating update for Liverpool supporters with him telling fans not to ‘write off’ a move at the moment – this comes after The Athletic’s David Ornstein braced fans for ‘fireworks’ regarding Salah’s future.

“Don’t write off Mo Salah to Al-Ittihad just yet,” the reporter told Ranks FC Ultras Podcast (via The Boot Room). “Don’t write it off just yet. Liverpool don’t want to sell him but if that offer actually lands everything changes and we actually find out how Mo Salah actually feels about that transfer. I’ve had that told to me several times.

“So, sorry Liverpool fans, I know that’s not what most of you want to hear, but we could have the biggest deal we’ve ever had on deadline day still to come.”

It would be a huge blow to see our Premier League record goalscorer leave the club this summer – especially because we wouldn’t have the chance to even attempt to sign a replacement.

Salah is happy on Merseyside but money talks and reports suggest that he’ll be offered an eye-watering salary to move to the gulf nation.

The Mirror claim that the former Roma forward would be offered a contract worth £170m-per-year which is quite literally staggering.

We believe no amount of money should force the club to sell the Egyptian King but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the next week or so.

#Ep88 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Journo says what he’s hearing from Liverpool suggests fourth transfer surprise is incoming

Farrell Keeling — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:24:04 +0000

Dean Jones has admitted he finds it hard to believe that Liverpool have called time on their search for a fourth midfield signing.

Word coming out of Anfield is that the plug has allegedly been pulled on this front, despite the level of outgoings in the midfield department.

“The message out of the club is to not expect anything. I feel like they’ve said that before and they have worked in the dark and just revealed one,” the reporter spoke on the Ranks FC Podcast via The Boot Room.

The Merseysiders had been thought to be keen on signing a multi-functional operator in the middle of the park, as per James Pearce’s update.

One can only speculate as to why Liverpool would take such a position in the market; one explanation that certainly seems plausible is that perhaps there isn’t an option out there we can a) afford and/or b) justify meeting an asking price for in the current market.

Whilst Wataru Endo has already showcased to a certain degree why his purchase may turn out to be a particularly shrewd one, we do have some concerns over the level of depth available.

A ‘multi-functional’ midfielder would have ticked a big box in that regard, were Liverpool able to snap up a player capable of playing deep and providing senior cover in the holding midfield role whilst also plying their trade closer to the forward line.

We’d have to join Jones in expressing our doubts over any suggestion that we’ve moved on to other positions at this stage (though there is a pressing need to land a new left-sided central defender this summer).

Hopefully, if accurate, it’s just another smokescreen to obscure the hard work happening behind the scenes.

#Ep86 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

The post Journo says what he’s hearing from Liverpool suggests fourth transfer surprise is incoming appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Pundit urges Liverpool fans to ‘look out’ as ‘whispers’ around new midfielder grow louder – report

Peter Kenny Jones — Sun, 20 Aug 2023 15:55:38 +0000

It’s not a surprise to see Liverpool linked with another midfielder at this point in the transfer window but it seems at this point that one name just won’t go away, when it comes to being touted as becoming our latest signing.

Speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, Dean Jones reported: “I would also say that they’re not finished. They probably will sign another midfielder. Look out for this Amrabat stuff that is starting to do whispers.

“I’m not saying they will sign Amrabat, but I didn’t think there was anything in it at first, but now I don’t believe that is totally the case and they are trying to find out if Amrabat would consider joining another Premier League team that isn’t Man United.

“After being hijacked themselves for Lavia, maybe they hijack their rivals and sign their top target”.

Given the failure to secure the signings of both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, Jurgen Klopp had to reassess his needs for the campaign ahead and that led to the surprise signing of Wataru Endo.

Now the next decision will be whether we add another body to our midfield ranks, strengthen elsewhere in the squad or wait for the January window and see how we fare in the first half of the campaign.

When it comes to Sofyan Amrabat though, he’s a player that has been so often linked with a Merseyside move that we perhaps should think that he is at very least on our radar.

If we are to make another signing then the Moroccan World Cup star seems to be one of the most likely to do so and if we can upset Manchester United at the same time – few of our supporters would be too opposed to that!

#Ep85 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Jan Åge Fjørtoft on Wataru Endo

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Transfer journalist’s claim suggests Liverpool could succeed with proposed second Lavia offer

Liam Togher — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:05:14 +0000

Liverpool are expected to submit a second transfer offer for Romeo Lavia this week, and the figure being mooted could seemingly be enough to give the Reds a real chance of getting a deal done soon.

Fabrizio Romano wrote in his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside that a bid of £45m for the 19-year-old is likely to be tabled in the coming days, with Southampton rejecting the initial £37m attempt.

Speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, another journalist in Dean Jones has hinted that the anticipated second offer could give LFC ‘a chance’ of succeeding this time around.

The transfer reporter said: “Liverpool are moving forwards with their pursuit of Lavia, and I have to admit I would be surprised if Liverpool didn’t end up signing Lavia. The big problem right now is that Lavia is rated at £50m by Southampton and not quite that amount by Liverpool.

“They are preparing a second approach and I was always told that around £40m you have a chance of getting Lavia.”

Going by Jones’ comments, Liverpool’s first bid may have been just £3m short of what Southampton would’ve deemed acceptable, so the Reds should be able to make up the shortfall and then some with a proposed second offer.

If the claim that they’d ‘have a chance’ of signing the 19-year-old for ‘around £40m’ is accurate, and the Merseysiders table the £45m that Romano has projected, that should be enough to convince the Saints to at least open negotiations regarding the eventual fee.

The Italian tweeted this morning that the Belgium midfielder has given the ‘green light’ to a move to Anfield, so it appears to be just a matter of the two clubs agreeing a mutually acceptable price and then the final small details being sorted.

Liverpool have been freshly bankrolled to the tune of £40m from the sale of Fabinho to Al-Ittihad (Sky Sports), so the overwhelming majority of that financial top-up could go straight towards a prospective deal for Lavia.

It’s taken quite a few weeks, but the various stars finally seem to be aligning for the Reds to secure their third midfield signing of the summer in the Southampton starlet.

#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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