Contrasting Konate claim & the 6 players ‘for sale’ – Liverpool FC Roundup

March 31, 2021
This Is Anfield

Another day, another batch of Liverpool transfer rumours – in and out, this time. It’s easy to forget we’ve a massive week ahead on the pitch!

Reds haven’t made an offer for Konate

Sky Sports Germany aren’t convinced that Liverpool are quite as close to signing Ibrahima Konate as a few other outlets were on these isles recently.

From talk of medicals being part-finished and release clauses being activated, SSG say there is no “concrete offer” made as yet and that Leipzig don’t plan to sell him.

Neither of those make a whole lot of sense if Liverpool are planning on paying the release clause, though, as they don’t have to contact or negotiate with the Bundesliga side – just deposit the funds, as Chelsea did with Timo Werner, to activate his ability to walk.

Konate himself is “dissatisfied” with life on the bench, meanwhile, suggesting he’s more than receptive to a move.

We’ll see!

Half a dozen Reds on the market

Sadly, some players’ times at Anfield will come to an end this summer – that’s the natural course of events.

It might that Gini Wijnaldum decides to leave – but he wouldn’t be one the club actively want to sell, as he’s out of contract.

The Athletic say there are six players who we do want to offload to raise funds, with Xherdan Shaqiri topping the bill as the most senior player.

Much of the list seems the same as last year, when either buyers couldn’t be found or the price was too high: Divock Origi, Marko Grujic, Harry Wilson, Sheyi Ojo and Ben Woodburn are all on the list.

That doesn’t factor in out-of-contract Adrian or the likes of out-on-loan Taiwo Awoniyi and Liam Millar, who also look surplus to requirements.

How much could we get for the lot – enough for one or two of these centre-backs?!

Futures and fixtures

The best of the rest is a mix of international updates and summer decisions to be made.

James Milner says he wants to stay as long as possible as he heads into the final 15 months of his Anfield contract
The Reds aren’t making any calls on whether or not to sign Ozan Kabak until he shows whether he warrants the deal with performances on the pitch
And three Reds were on the scoresheet on the international stage, including another goal for Jota

Quickfire LFC news

Daniel Agger has begun his coaching career! He has a new job as manager back in his home nation (TIA)

The Reds paid out £21.6m to agents in the past year (TS)

Richarlison is being a petulant tw*t yet again, cry-arsing that Thiago didn’t reply on Insta (TIA)

And Declan Rice hopes Hendo is fit for the Euros, explaining how he helps the team enormously without losing his own impact on the game (Mirror)

Around the Prem

Sense has prevailed and five subs are allowed at Euro 2020 – reckon Chris Wilder thinks he was right to demand it stayed at three in the Prem? (BBC)

Man City will now go for Kane if they fail to sign Haaland this summer – does that make Lukaku first choice, third or what? (Times)

City have been ‘put off’ by a £100m valuation of Jack Grealish, which suggests they perhaps should have signed him before he signed the long-term contract all of about eight months ago (Telegraph)

And the manager merry-go-round will see Dyche head to Newcastle, or maybe Palace, and Burnley bring in Wilder instead. These guys are going to be the new Pardew, Allardyce and Hodgson for 20 years, aren’t they…(Mail)

Stupid moron of the day

England U21s have some outrageously good talent available (hey, Curtis!) and yet have once more failed to achieve much of anything.

It’s not the waste of space, entirely unproven, incapable of anything head coach Aidy Boothroyd’s fault, though. Oh no. His job is “utterly impossible”, apparently, and yet he has also been “successful”.

Remarkable.

Tweet of the day

Not even Liverpool, not even sorry. State of that pitch!

37 years ago today:

Clive Allen and The Greatest Drag Back You’ve Never Seen.

Fucking sensational.pic.twitter.com/DmZyGnVaGF

— A Funny Old Game (@sid_lambert) March 31, 2021