JAMIE CARRAGHER'S CLAIM: LUIS DIAZ ONLY GREAT DUE TO "EASIER" BUNDESLIGA
Jamie Carragher defended Liverpool's decision to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for £65.5m, arguing it was "good business" for a player he rated as "good, not great."
Jamie Carragher thinks Liverpool might miss Luis Diaz this season since they don't have anyone who plays quite like him. Still, he believes the £65.5 million Bayern Munich paid for Diaz was a good deal for Liverpool.
Diaz played 148 games for Liverpool, scoring 41 goals. He helped them win five trophies in his three and a half years there, including last season's Premier League title.
But soon after celebrating the trophy, Diaz moved to Bayern for £65.5 million.
Liverpool brought in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike to boost their attack in a busy transfer period. Yet, some people wondered why they were okay with letting Diaz go.
These questions have grown louder because Liverpool hasn't played well since the season started. Slot's new signings haven't lived up to the hype.
On the other hand, Diaz has been great in German football. He has seven goals and five assists in his first 12 Bundesliga games. He also has three Champions League goals.
Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, talked about Diaz's departure on The Overlap. He said the club's leaders might have thought differently than Arne Slot, who might have wanted to keep Diaz.
But they considered he’s 28, and giving him a new contract means paying him a lot, Carragher said.
It was a good deal for Liverpool, and I'll argue with anyone about that. He'll look amazing in the Bundesliga because it's not as tough as the Premier League.
Carragher added, “Diaz was a good player for Liverpool, but not great. He wasn't like Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, or Mohamed Salah. He was just good.
Although Wirtz isn't the same type of player as Diaz, Carragher hopes he can fill the gap, especially after his good game against West Ham.
Carragher said Liverpool got some good years out of him and got a good price, so it was a good deal for Liverpool.
What they haven't done, Carragher stated, is replace him.
But if Wirtz becomes as good as we hope, maybe he's a different type of player, but can fill that role between the lines on the left.
Carragher thinks Wirtz's performance against West Ham should be what everyone expects, considering his high transfer fee of £116 million.
Carragher said that he watched Wirtz play well against Real Madrid, but the West Ham game was the first time that Wirtz seemed a cut above everyone else. That's how it should be when you pay that kind of money.
I'm not trying to put more pressure on him, but that was the first time I'd seen him and thought, "He looks a level above everyone else." That shouldn't be a one-off.
“While he didn’t set up a goal or score, so we still need to see that, I want to see that level of play most weeks because he’s a superstar, the best player in Germany, and broke the British transfer record before Alexander Isak. I need to see that.”
Carragher wants Liverpool to dominate teams like Sunderland and Leeds, even if they don't always win. He hopes Wirtz is getting started now.
Carragher has always opposed Liverpool changing managers during the season. He hopes the club can build on their 2-0 win against West Ham.
It felt like a big week, and I felt West Ham away was the toughest of those games, he explained.
It wasn't just that he had three games to save his job, but also the nature of the opposition. These included a team that has been in the bottom three all season, West Ham; a promoted team in Sunderland; and another promoted team, Leeds, also in the bottom three.
“It felt like if you don’t get results there, it does feel a little bit like… where do you go?
“Liverpool has never changed a manager who has won the league. And then, who do you get? The idea of putting an interim manager in just feels impossible.”
There have been rumours about Steven Gerrard possibly taking over from Slot as interim manager.
Carragher doubts these rumours and believes fans are mainly hoping Slot can turn things around.
When asked if the Gerrard links could be real, Carragher said, No, I wouldn't think so.
It's because he's been a manager and had success at Rangers. He is a well-known figure back in Liverpool and around town.
“But I don’t think most Liverpool fans are hoping for Steven Gerrard. I think everyone is desperate for it to work for Slot.
Still, the problem with being on such a bad run is how long does it continue? So, I do feel like it was a big week.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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