We round up the latest Liverpool news and transfer rumours on Tuesday, as a quiet transfer window rumbles on.
Today’s Main Headlines
- Liverpool confirm they are “entertaining offers” for new kit deal
They’re looking for a record fee.
- Here’s when every Liverpool first-team player’s contract expires
Find out which Reds could leave this summer.
- Dalglish’s brilliant assessment of Robertson
“Andy ticks all the boxes”.
- Watch Liverpool’s best Anfield strikes of the last 27 years
What’s your favourite?
- Praise for “top shelf” Grujic is exactly what Liverpool want to hear
The young Serb is impressing in Germany.
- Glatzel hat-trick inspires Liverpool U18s to FA Youth Cup victory
Lewtas’ Reds into round five.
Reds Trio Among Best Signings
Liverpool feature prominently in the latest batch of CEIS Football Observatory figures, looking at the best value-for-money signings last summer and calculating their current price.
Xherdan Shaqiri comes in third with an estimated value increase of £35.4 million since moving to Anfield, behind only Atletico Madrid’s Rodri Hernandez (£39.6m) and Arsenal‘s Lucas Torreira (£38.9m).
Alisson and Fabinho are seventh and eighth, with a £29.1 million and £27.7 million rise respectively.
Meanwhile, former Reds midfielder Emre Can is seen as the best free transfer—an ‘evolution’ of £39.6 million—after moving to Juventus.
Milner On Liverpool Fans
Liverpool are famed for producing a special atmosphere ahead of big games at Anfield, most notably on Champions League nights.
Speaking on The Big Interview podcast with journalist Graham Hunter, James Milner admits it is heartening to see the fans so revved-up before kickoff:
“You stop on the way to ground and there’s people signing, on each other’s shoulders, flares going off.
“You can’t see out the windows then the smoke’s there, the smoke’s coming onto the bus a bit and there’s people banging on the bus.
“That atmosphere before you even get there it’s like the 88th minute and you’re winning – and you haven’t even started yet!”
Here’s hoping there are still several of those occasions to look forward to this season, both in Europe and in the Premier League.
Souness Praises “Pragmatic” Reds
Graeme Souness knows a thing or two about winning trophies, having won five league titles and three European Cups during his time at Anfield.
In an interview with LiverpoolFC.com, the Reds legend spoke about the current team’s chances of glory this season, and their new-found pragmatism:
“We’re in a great position.
“It’s not theirs to lose, there’s a long way to go and City are a really good team. Just keep your nerve and treat each game as the next one is the most important one, don’t look too far ahead.
“If you can, keep that four-point advantage and it’s first to blink really, in the long-term.
“As well as being a great watch, Liverpool are a pretty pragmatic team as well; they are a pretty strong outfit when they’re not dominant, they’re still capable of winning games.
“That makes them a dangerous team. It makes you league champions when you can win games without being at your best.”
Kuyt on Gerrard the Manager
Dirk Kuyt has told De Telegraaf that Steven Gerrard will do things “his own way” in management, hopefully culminating in him being in charge of Liverpool one day:
“When Steven just became a coach with the Liverpool youths, I talked to him about the road he was going to follow.
“He made a conscious choice to leave Liverpool right away. He wants to develop himself as a coach outside the spotlights of the Premier League.
“Glasgow Rangers is a big club. His dream will be to eventually become a coach at Liverpool. In order to get there, he also travels his own way.”
It was a brave move for Gerrard to move to Rangers from Liverpool’s academy last summer, but it is a decision that looks to be paying off handsomely.
The Reds legend has become a hero at Ibrox already, guiding the Scottish giants to second in the Premiership, level on points with leaders Celtic.
Praise for “Fox in the Box” Glatzel
Paul Glatzel was Liverpool’s FA Youth Cup hero on Monday night, scoring a hat-trick in their 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley.
It sent the Reds through to the fifth round where they will host Wigan Athletic, and manager Barry Lewtas lauded the striker’s goalscoring knack and steadily improving all-round game.
“He’s a good finisher, he scores goals, plays between the goal frame, so normally if you put the ball in there he’s there to score,” Lewtas told the Evening Standard.
“We’re working hard with him on his link-up play and bringing others in and combining, he can play in the pockets.
“At the moment, he’s still developing. As I’ve said before, the kid’s missed an awful lot of footy, so this is his first season back.
“He’s still evolving himself and finding his way, but he’s someone between the posts who’s a bit of a fox in the box if you like!
“He’s around there whenever the ball drops, his headers, left foot—goalscorer.”
New Referee Announced
The Premier League have confirmed that Australian referee Jarred Gillett will take charge of English games next season.
The 32-year-old will be heading to England to study at Liverpool John Moore’s University in April, specialising in research for children suffering from Cerebral Palsy.
Gillett will be made a Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) Select Group 2 referee ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, primarily covering Championship matches.
He has won the A-League Referee of the Year award five times.
