Liverpool's Colombia forward Luis Diaz and English defender Joe Gomez, both 27-years-old, are targets for Saudi Pro League clubs as they look to attract younger players this summer. (Mail), external
New Liverpool manager Arne Slot is keen to make a bid for 28-year-old Aston Villa and England forward Ollie Watkins, as a replacement for 24-year-old Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez. (Sun), external
Liverpool are planning to offer 20-year-old Northern Ireland defender Conor Bradley a new and improved contract. (Teamtalk), external
Image source, Getty ImagesOutgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has offered his support to Anfield successor Arne Slot.
Slot officially starts his role as head coach on Saturday after three years in charge at Feyenoord.
"It was a really good talk [with Slot]. Klopp said in a fan Q&A session held at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
"I spoke to pretty much everybody on the new leadership team. He's a really good manager.
"Arne has my number and he can call me - [but] I don't think it's necessary,"
"There's a really good base for the next manager. We helped the new manager already by not winning everything. Can you imagine if we'd won the quadruple this year? Great."
Image source, Getty ImagesLewis Koumas has received his first call up to the Wales senior squad.
Wales will travel to Gibraltar on Thursday, 6 June and then to Slovakia three days later for friendly matches.
Manager Rob Page said: "How can I ignore it when he has done what he has done for Liverpool in the first team?
"It would be foolish for me to ignore it. I have to use this little window we have to see him work and to see him train.
"It’s a no-brainer for me to expose some of the young ones now to the environment - to how we train, to how we work and get us ready for the Nations League in September and then the World Cup qualifiers."
Image source, Getty ImagesIn a fan Q&A session held at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp was asked about the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group:
"The owners do what owners do. Surprise! The owners want to earn money. Sorry to tell you that.
"It's not like they earn money on a daily basis. They invest something and that's how the whole world goes.
"We should be really happy we have them and not guys who bought London clubs. I wouldn't have survived a year at Liverpool [with them].
"The owners feel responsible for the club. Are they the best in the world? I don't know, I can't say. But they worked really hard. I felt supported."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Liverpool winger Sadio Mane's unpredictability made him such a tough opponent to face, says Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker.
Walker and Mane locked horns for many one-on-one battles over the years, first when at Tottenham and Southampton respectively and then later in title clashes between Liverpool and City.
"Sadio Mane was a nightmare for me," Walker told his new BBC podcast You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker. "He was more raw.
"He had certain movements he would do. I think he was playing in a very, very good Liverpool side. Him, [Mohamed] Salah, [Roberto] Firmino - who was dropping deep.
"He's one of the most difficult because he's so off the cuff."
When pushed on how he went about dealing with the threat of Mane, Walker stressed the importance of preparation when facing such a dangerous opponent.
"I'd always watch a lot of clips. He still has movements, repetitions, that they do in the game that they like," he added.
"You also go with your strengths. He's not going to knock it down the line and try to run me because he's worried I'll get my arm across and win the ball.
"He likes a one-two so I'm giving myself a metre distance where I can - then get back in case I need to get on the other side."
Liverpool are interested in Atalanta's 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder Ederson, who could become new manager Arne Slot's first signing. (Tuttosport - in Italian), external
Liverpool have placed a £20m valuation on defender Sepp van den Berg, who is attracting interest from Brentford, Southampton and Wolfsburg after a successful loan spell at Mainz. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Real Madrid's Brazil forward Rodrygo, 23, has cast doubts over his future at the club, raising the possibility of a move to Liverpool. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish, via Dazn), external
Competition is growing for RB Leipzig's Spain forward Dani Olmo, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City Barcelona and Bayern Munich all interested in the 26-year-old. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool defender Joe Gomez says his captain Virgil Van Dijk is "the best in the world and probably the best the club has ever had in that position".
Van Dijk was given the armband last summer after Jordan Henderson's departure and performed admirably as the Reds won the Carabao Cup and mounted a title charge in Jurgen Klopp's last season at the helm.
"I’m incredibly happy for him," Gomez told The Anfield Wrap, external. "I can’t put it into words.
"I know what it means for him, and I really get to see the inside and how things sometimes are tough.
"It’s a massively pressured position to be in; following Hendo’s footsteps after the year we had, a lot of unknowns and uncertainties. The way Virg has just stepped up and just taken every responsibility that comes with it.
"The little things that people might not see in a training ground when you need to make decisions or enforce moments when it’s like, ‘Lads, we need to be better at this’ or it might be timekeeping, it might be different things that you don’t want to slip out of place.
"Virg has done it in his own way, and it’s made him even more appreciated amongst us as a team. His ability speaks for itself; he’s the best at what he does, he’s the best in the world and probably the best the club has ever had in that position."
Gomez who also enjoyed a successful season - largely as a right-back - forced his way into Gareth Southgate's provision England Euro 2024 squad and credits Van Dijk with getting Liverpool through difficult moments.
"The way he has handled it off the pitch as a leader, and on the pitch, in moments when we’ve had tough defeats and it’s not even hesitation, he’ll step up and go and speak and represent us all and how we feel," he added.
"It’s been a joy to watch, he has taken it more than in his stride. I’m so happy for him and I’m sure he’s incredibly proud to be captain of his country and his club. The way he does it speaks for itself."
Image source, Getty ImagesWith much talk over Mohamed Salah's contract and plenty of dialogue on the finishing ability of Darwin Nunez, we asked which is most likely to still be at Liverpool when they kick of their first season under Arne Slot in August.
At the time of writing, 17% of you believe it is Salah, 19% believe is it Nunez and comprehensively 64% of you believe they will both be there for the start of the Slot revolution.
Liverpool want to sign Burnley's England Under-21 goalkeeper James Trafford, with Caoimhin Kelleher looking to leave the club. (Football Insider, external)
The Reds and Chelsea are among the Premier League clubs interested in Leeds United's 22-year-old Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville. (Mirror, external)
Real Madrid are ready to offer in excess of £25m for Lille's 18-year-old French centre-back Leny Yoro, who has also been linked with Liverpool and Paris St-Germain. (Foot Mercato - in French, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesIt will be a summer of change at Anfield regardless of what happens with the playing squad given Arne Slot will be at the helm.
There is much talk over Mohamed Salah's contract and plenty of dialogue on the finishing ability of Darwin Nunez. Both have been linked with an exit but who do you think is most likely to stay?
Tell us by making a selection here
Image source, PA MediaHow closely have you been paying attention to the Reds' Premier League season?
Check out our Liverpool quiz - and see if your knowledge is in order.
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool's season saw the breakthrough of 'Klopp's kids' because of the volume of injuries suffered.
Through the course of the 2023-24 Premier League season, the Reds recorded 35 separate injuries that affected 21 of their 26-man squad.
Research conducted for more than 20 years by the Premier Injuries website, external suggests that the total number of individual injuries across the league, where a player missed at least one Premier League game, was the highest they had recorded.
Many players suffered more than one injury.
And although those 35 injuries had an effect on Jurgen Klopp's final season, eight clubs suffered more, including Manchester United who topped the list with 45.
In Liverpool's worst-hit game week they had nine players absent and in total their injured players missed a combined total of 1,383 days.
Read the full breakdown of injuries in the 2023-24 Premier League season
Liverpool have turned their attention to Leeds United's Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville, 22, after opting against moving for Newcastle United and England winger Anthony Gordon, 23. (90 Min), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
We asked for your views on what should be first on Arne Slot's to-do list after replacing Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.
Here are some of your responses:
Rick: Slot and FSG need to extend the contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and, if possible, Mohamed Salah, but if he won't sign an extension, then they need to sell and use the profit on an attacking right-winger. We need depth at centre-back and probably an understudy at right-back if Alexander-Arnold moves to midfield.
Mark: 1. Get Trent to sign a new contract. 2. Sell Mo to pay for Trent's new contract. 3. Sign a new striker.
Will: Replace Darwin Nunez with a player who will not only score goals but also let Salah return to his former role closer to goal. Figure out where Trent wants to play. Bring in a strong left-sided centre-back who can eventually replace Van Dijk. The rest is peachy - we just need players to stay fit and keep developing.
Ken: Slot's first point of business will be to secure the futures of Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Alisson to avoid unnecessary conjecture. A dynamic defensive midfielder such as Ederson at Atalanta will be required along with a few smart additions to the squad.
Jim: Slot needs to make us more difficult to play against so a top central defender and tough defensive midfielder are top priority along with a more clinical striker to convert more of the many chances we make into goals. Subject to the current players who might leave, Slot should go for three new signings and renewing team spirit.
Rob: Liverpool need a solid, boring, defensive midfielder who can play the majority of games with Wataru Endo as back up. Up front we need to find a way to get 30 games a season out of Diogo Jota - otherwise we need to bring in a finisher. Unfortunately Nunez and Luis Diaz can’t be relied on to put away the big chances in a tight game. No idea what to do with Salah or Alexander-Arnold.
Ian Kennedy
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter
With Liverpool the expectations are always sky high, and so a title challenge is expected, and up until the closing weeks of the season, they were right in the mix.
There's slight disappointment they lost ground, but with a third place finish, 82 points and a Carabao Cup victory, the season can be definitely viewed as one of success, progress and development. Qualification for the Champions League puts the club back among the elite of Europe and will give the new manager a strong platform to work from.
Biggest success for club this season?
Jurgen Klopp was always good at giving youth its chance, and this past season was no exception. Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah in particular have been superb and will be a big part of the new era, and Harvey Elliott will be pushing for regular starts from now on.
Biggest let down or frustration?
I suppose the biggest disappointment was the day Klopp announced he was leaving! There’ll be a frustration that too many goals were conceded in the final games of the campaign, and that vital points were lost but overall it was a good season with an emotional finale.
Key item on the summer agenda?
Arne Slot has the unenviable task of replacing Klopp, and how he goes about that will be fascinating. Will he want to add players to the squad? And where would those additions fit in assuming no major departures? Finding a place for Conor Bradley and thus accommodating Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield is something many have discussed. But overall it’s a fresh start with a new manager and a new backroom staff. If that transition is seamless, Slot will have a great chance to be successful and put his own stamp on things.
What should be first on Slot's to-do list? Tell us here, external
We asked you to select your Liverpool player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.
After voting in your thousands, we can reveal the winner is... Alexis Mac Allister!
Image source, Getty ImagesAnd here's what Josh Sexton from The Anfield Wrap, external had to say about your winner...
"The Premier League signing of the summer at just £35m and perhaps Liverpool's most consistent performer over the course of the season. It looked as though his goals and contributions were going to almost single-handedly drag his team to more major honours before the wheels came off."
And here is how the votes went for the other 19 Premier League clubs
