Liverpool news and transfers LIVE: Chelsea build-up plus Alexander ...
Arne Slot addressed Trent Alexander-Arnold's contract situation at the club ahead of Liverpool's game against Chelsea, saying that he does not expect the right-back to be distracted by ongoing speculations surrounding his future.
Real Madrid has made Alexander-Arnold a priority target in 2025, while Liverpool remains hopeful of tying him down to a new contract. The 26-year-old's current deal is due to expire in June next year.
“These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis,” said the Reds boss. “If they have contracts or not. If you think they’re disturbed by these interests, then I think you don’t do justice to how strong they are mentally and what they are used to. This is part of our job.
“I was at Feyenoord last year and they linked me with many clubs and before that and before that. This is part of this world we are living in. You just focus on what you have to do. Maybe if you’re 17 or 18 years of age, that could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League."
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21:10Matt Addison
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has posted on Instagram ahead of the match with Chelsea tomorrow, which could be a hint at his inclusion in the matchday squad. He has been managing a minor groin complaint picked up against Crystal Palace.
20:15Matt Addison
Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah, the German international, will be out of contract at the end of the season, and Liverpool is supposedly among the sides interested in a free move for him.
According to TEAMtalk, Inter Milan sees Tah as an heir to aging defenders like Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij. The Serie A giant, it is said, is trying to get him to sign a pre-contract agreement in January when he will be free to speak with clubs abroad.
AC Milan, Juventus, and Bayern Munich have also been linked with Tah. Liverpool would only need another center-back if someone was to leave and even then, a 28-year-old isn't a likely target.
19:29Matt Addison
Star defender William Saliba will be missing for Arsenal as it hosts Liverpool in the Premier League next weekend after he was sent off for the Gunners against Bournemouth.
The Cherries have won 2-0 against Arsenal, which means the Reds are a point ahead with a game in hand. It was a tricky game for the Gunners even 11 versus 11.
Ryan Christie scored the first goal of the match before a penalty from Justin Kluivert sealed the result. David Raya had a day to forget while Mikel Arteta could do nothing from the sidelines as his team struggled with 10 men.
19:05Matt Addison
Liverpool is ahead of Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign teenage rising star Andrija Maksimovic from Red Star Belgrade, according to BILD's Christian Falk (writing for Caught Offside).
At just 17 years old, Maksimovic is quickly emerging as one of the most promising young talents in Europe. Inevitably, he has drawn comparisons to Argentine superstar Lionel Messi as a left-footed playmaker.
The wonderkid made his international debut last week and became Serbia's youngest-ever player. He is said to be valued at around $16m (£12m/€15m) by his current club.
Liverpool supposedly wants Maksimovic and is "closer" to securing a deal for the teenager than Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga team is said to consider the attacking midfielder as one of the next big talents in soccer, though it is yet to make a concrete approach for his services.
17:12Matt Addison
16:47Matt Addison
Liverpool has been told it is "only a matter of time" before key trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk sign new deals to extend their stays at Anfield beyond the end of the season.
Former striker Emile Heskey is confident that each of the three stars will be sticking around even though the clock is ticking for more news to arrive on the contract front.
"Trent has won it all with his boyhood club," he told 10Bet. "He knows that he can fulfil all of his ambitions as a player at Liverpool – I hope that he continues his Liverpool fairytale, and I think that he will by signing a new contract.
"I think there is a deal that can be structured for Salah that everyone can be happy with. I feel the same way about Van Dijk. Both players seem to be very happy at the club and with the direction that everything is moving in. I think it’s just a matter of time before they all sign new deals."
15:53Matt Addison
It's half-time in four of the five Premier League matches currently taking place, with Ipswich Town vs Everton having been delayed by 15 minutes because of turnstile issues before kick-off. That one is 1-0 to the Blues after just over half an hour, with Iliman Ndiaye on the scoresheet.
Man Utd 0-1 Brentford (Ethan Pinnock)Southampton 2-0 Leicester City (Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo)Fulham 1-1 Aston Villa (Raul Jimenez and Morgan Rogers)Newcastle 0-1 Brighton (Danny Welbeck)15:01Liam Corless
Liverpool has rejected a claim by a Spanish media outlet that the Reds have already conceded that Trent Alexander-Arnold will not renew his contract at Anfield. The right-back is into the final nine months of his current deal, and Marca reported this week that the Reds have virtually given up hope of keeping him. However, The Times reports that Liverpool has clarified that that is not the case.
13:04Liam Corless
Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott and Alisson will all miss Liverpool's home game against Chelsea, while there are doubts over the availability of Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Kostas Tsimikas.
Goalkeeper Alisson is expected to be sidelined until after the November international break after sustaining a hamstring problem during the win over Crystal Palace a fortnight ago. Alisson was replaced during the second half at Selhurst Park and Caoimhin Kelleher is expected to deputise for the Brazilian goalkeeper for the next seven games at least.
Kelleher was absent from the Liverpool squad against Palace due to illness but featured in both of Ireland's games during the break and will line up against Chelsea barring any late surprises.
Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, is still on the comeback trail after suffering a fractured foot in September. Elliott has been pictured back in the gym in recent days but is yet to return to the pitch. Chiesa, meanwhile, missed Liverpool's two games prior to the international break, against Bologna and Palace, and did not take part in team training on Friday.
Mac Allister, Endo and Tsimikas have not been ruled out but are doubts after they were each also absent from team training on Friday. Endo and Tsimikas have been nursing illnesses in recent days, while the club is seemingly managing Mac Allister with caution after he was forced off at half-time against Palace with an adductor problem.
11:45Liam Corless
Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville are all backing Liverpool to get the better of Chelsea in Sunday's Premier League showdown at Anfield. The Reds go into the game sitting pretty at the top of the table having won six of their opening seven league games, but the visiting team has also enjoyed an excellent start to the season and currently sits in fourth place.
Chelsea undoubtedly goes into the game with the league's form player in Cole Palmer, who has registered six goals and five assists in the league already, but the former England trio do not believe Palmer's influence will be enough to help Chelsea record a positive result on Merseyside.
See what they had to say here
10:35Liam Corless
Enzo Maresca played down suggestions that Sunday's clash at Anfield will be contested by two title contenders. Chelsea has started the season in good form, winning four of its opening seven league games having also finished the previous campaign with five successive wins under previous boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Both teams go into the weekend occupying the Champions League qualification spots, with Liverpool in first and Chelsea in fourth, but Maresca warned:
“I don’t see in this moment Chelsea being close to these kind of clubs (Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal), for many reasons. But for sure we work every day to be close to (Liverpool), knowing it requires us to work together day by day, time to approach and go close.
“The only way to try to be close is just to be focussed on the things we need to improve. To think where we can to be in four games, its a bit difficult. The only thing I can say is that we want to try to do our best Sunday.
“I consider the City game our best this season, for many reasons. First of all because I know City, and second because we really played a good game, didn’t concede many chances. We had many chances before and after they scored. Game after game we are improving different things, but that game was a good game.”
08:48Liam Corless
Ryan Gravenberch has revealed he asked Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo for advice over his new role in the Liverpool team. The midfielder has been used as a deep-lying midfielder this season having broken through at Ajax as a more attack-minded player.
He told The Guardian:
“It feels good but to be honest I have to adapt more because I’m not a natural defending No 6. First [at the start of his career] I was like a more attacking midfielder, so for myself I have to adapt more. I think the first games were really good but I have to keep improving. We have a lot of possession and I have a lot of the ball and that is what I wanted, so it feels good, it feels comfortable.
“I spoke to Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] because obviously last season he played a lot there and also [Wataru] Endo about what they used to do, anticipating where the ball can come, just some little chats.”
07:29Liam Corless
Fresh comments from Carlo Ancelotti suggest Real Madrid will not attempt to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold in January, despite Dani Carvajal suffering a season-ending injury earlier this year.
Ancelotti said:
“We have Lucas Vazquez, we trust him. Then there’s Eder Militao. I see him well as a right back, yes. I have not asked for new signings in January as last year we managed the situation well.
"Signing a player who will be good for Real Madrid is not easy. At the moment we are not thinking about it.”
07:27Liam Corless
Hello and welcome to our daily Liverpool live blog. We'll be building up to tomorrow's game against Chelsea as well as bringing you all the other important Reds updates throughout the course of the day.
