Liverpool face Brighton tomorrow morning and we’re packed today with news of that game, fans coming back, transfer rumours and more.
Predictable Garay rumour surfaces
We wondered when this one would crop up. Ezequiel Garay is the highest-profile defender around who doesn’t currently have a club, so the only surprise is that it has taken this long.
The former Real, Zenit and Valencia man is a free agent and so could join right now – which doesn’t exactly lend credibility to Spanish outlet Sport‘s claims that the Reds, as well as Barcelona, want to sign him “in the winter window”.
While the Reds are without Gomez and Van Dijk for the long haul, Barca are similarly short of centre-backs. Pique has his own long-term injury, Samuel Umtiti is both injured and out of favour and Araujo is also out.
He’s there if we want a quick fix, but in truth there’s not much more benefit to signing an out-of-shape, aging, slow defender to come into a new team and system than there is to keep persevering with our own youngsters who are learning on the job.
Fans to return to Anfield against Wolves
It won’t quite be the raucous, rowdy mob of 54,000 we’ve become used to, but Anfield could be at nearly 4 per cent capacity next month!
The club have confirmed they are in plans to allow 2,000 supporters in for the game against Wolves in early December and have detailed the plan for tickets for the game, which only those residing in the City of Liverpool will immediately be eligible to attend.
Other criteria applies – season tickets holders and so on – and only the Main Stand will be in use, with 1,500 of the tickets going to fans rather than corporate and players’ families.
Jurgen Klopp says it’s a “small step in the right direction” and rejected claims of unfairness for some clubs being allowed supporters, while others cannot.
“The world is in a difficult place, we all wait for small steps and it is a small step in the right direction. That’s how I see it,” he added.
Meanwhile, LFC Women will also be allowed to welcome back fans at home games at Prenton Park. Up to 900 tickets will be available and tickets must be bought in advance, not on the door.
Best of Brighton build-up
We’re off to the south coast and the Amex early on Saturday – here’s the news and managers’ thoughts ahead of the game.
- We’ve got the team news, injury latest and everything else you need to know in our match preview
- The Seagulls’ boss has backed Klopp in the matter of subs and a ridiculous fixture list
- And you can see all of Klopp’s thoughts on Jota, Alisson, players’ fitness and more in his press conference
Quickfire LFC news
- A change in travel restrictions means the Reds will play their last Champions League game in Denmark, not Germany (TIA)
- The French gems of yesteryear, Le Tallec and Sinama Pongolle, have given a joint interview detailing their time in Red (SW)
- Talented young Belgian defender Marco Kana says he would prefer a move to Liverpool if he heads to the Premier League (Walfoot)
- And Klopp says Adam Lallana is a Liverpool “friend for life” – but that won’t apply for 90 minutes at the weekend! (LFC)
Around the Prem
- Everton are without Lucas Digne for 2-3 months and everything has gone swimmingly for him since making that joke about the foul on Thiago, hasn’t it? (BBC)
- Spurs want to sign Leicester attacker Demarai Gray on a free in January, because there’s not enough competition with Kane, Son, Bale, Bergwijn, Alli, Lo Celso, Moura, Lamela and Vinicius in attack (Express)
- Aston Villa want Milot Rashica in January, who the Reds were briefly linked with last summer (Kreiszeitung)
- And Man United will again try to loan Ousmane Dembele in January because there just wasn’t enough time to sort it out in the five-month summer window (Sport)
Stupid rumour of the day
That darned hot-head manager Jurgen Klopp, well-known for binning off his players after a single defeat in a million years, has decided on the spot to sell Origi for being rubbish against Atalanta and Shaqiri for, erm, not making that squad at all apparently, as soon as the January window opens.
The Express reckon the boss wants €30 million to spend and, yes really, they’ve used Transfermarkt to work out that duo will fetch that precise amount.
Dear f****** god.
Tweet of the day
Just a reminder that Jordan Henderson is the only English Captain to lift the world treble @LFC pic.twitter.com/nhlp1Log2E
— ? ??????? ???? ? (@james79rigby) November 26, 2020
What we’re reading
An ‘insider’ account from Dean Jones at Eurosport on the admiration for Erling Haaland at Liverpool. It’s not a rumour as such, rather explaining why and how he could be the next big signing the Reds look to – as well as other teams.
Worth watching tonight
Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga at 7:30pm. If you’ve had trouble sleeping recently, tune in to Crystal Palace 1-0 Newcastle (Ayew, 86′) from 8pm instead.
