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VIRGIL VAN DIJK DENIES RIFT: MO SALAH'S RANT IS "BLOWN UP" BY MEDIA; I WANT HIM TO STAY

Virgil van Dijk claimed Mohamed Salah's "thrown under the bus" comments haven't affected the team, stating the internal atmosphere and training remain "normal."

Virgil van Dijk Denies Rift: Mo Salah's Rant is "Blown Up" By Media; I Want Him to Stay
VVD: Salah Outburst Not Harming Team Vibe

Virgil van Dijk claims Mohamed Salah's recent outburst hasn't messed with the Liverpool team's vibe. He said training felt normal.

After Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds, where Salah sat on the bench, he said he felt thrown under the bus by the club, blamed for their bad season, and hinted he might leave in January.

This rant got him in trouble. He didn't travel with the team to Milan for their Champions League game against Inter, which they won 1-0 thanks to a late penalty by Dominik Szoboszlai.

Van Dijk told Sky Sports that even after Salah's comments, things were fine within the team.

It wasn't that hard to deal with. "It's just how he felt after the game," Van Dijk said. When we came in on Sunday, the team felt the same as always.

We know what's up, but the media is blowing it up. We just need to deal with the fact that we had a big game and another one coming up this weekend. We'll see what happens.

When asked if he'd spoken to Salah and what they talked about, Van Dijk said, Of course I spoke to him. But that's private.

Salah's time at Liverpool seems uncertain, but Van Dijk wants him to stay: I've been with Mo for a long time. He's helped me a lot here, and I've helped him. We've done it together.

Salah mentioned issues with the club, feeling benched without reason, and a strained relationship with the manager, suggesting someone at the club doesn't want him there. He also spoke about his contract, saying he thought he'd retire at Liverpool, but now things are uncertain.

He's leaving for the African Cup of Nations soon. I hope he does great. "I don't know what will happen next," Van Dijk added.

I hope he comes back to Liverpool, but it's up to the club and Mo. We're friends no matter what, and we've been through a lot together. We'll see what happens.

Arne Slot's team was short some players in Milan, including Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa.

When asked if Salah had let the team down, Van Dijk responded, I won't say if someone let someone down. He didn't travel because of what he said after the game. He trained normally yesterday. We'll see what happens on Friday when we train again. I'm focused on the team. Mo is still part of the team for now, so we'll see.

Andy Robertson, who has played with Salah for years, hopes he doesn't leave on bad terms.

It's tough. "We're talking about one of the best players ever to play here," Robertson said. I joined at the same time as him. Whatever happened, we're all in this together.

About Salah's future, he said, That's not up to me. I love playing with Mo, and I hope we keep playing together.

WHY DID JEREMY JACQUET SNUB CHELSEA FOR LIVERPOOL? THE SECRET VIRGIL CONNECTION

Liverpool secure Jeremy Jacquet in a £60m Deadline Day coup. The 20-year-old chose Anfield over Chelsea for a summer move.

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Liverpool scouted Jeremy Jacquet in secret before the huge £60m bid

Liverpool turned heads on Transfer Deadline Day when Arne Slot jumped into the mix and snapped up one of Europe’s brightest young talents.

The Reds dropped £55 million up front—plus another potential £5 million in add-ons—to bring in Jeremy Jacquet. He’ll link up with his new teammates this summer. Chelsea hovered around the deal too, but Jacquet chose Liverpool over the Blues.

French football pundit Julian Laurens isn’t shy about his excitement. He told Sky Sports, “He’s the real deal. Sure, he’s only 20. He hasn’t played for France yet, and you won’t find him in the Champions League or Europa League. But he’s already shown so much. Last season, Rennes brought him back from a second division loan, and this year, playing under Habib Beye, he’s just kept improving. You can’t miss with this kid. He’s going to be special.

“He reminds me of when William Saliba broke through at Saint-Etienne, or even Wesley Fofana. The point is, if you really value untapped talent, you’re willing to pay big. And Liverpool just did—because Jacquet’s that promising.”

Jacquet grew up in Bondy, the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, and Randal Kolo Muani. It’s up in Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of central Paris.

His football education, though, happened at Rennes out in Brittany. He came up through their academy, playing alongside guys like Desire Doue—who won the Champions League with PSG—and Tottenham’s Mathys Tel.

Back then, Jacquet idolised Paul Pogba, but once they moved him to centre-back, he started looking up to Virgil van Dijk.

He made his first-team debut for Rennes in January 2024, then went on loan to Clermont Foot 63, who were fighting relegation in Ligue 1. Even after they went down, Rennes kept him out on loan because he did so well with the French U19 squad.

But in February 2025, Rennes called him back, and he’s been a regular for Habib Beye ever since.

Asked about his playing style, Jacquet said, “I’m calm on the ball—maybe I look a little nonchalant, but I’m always focused. What makes me stand out is playing out from the back and breaking lines with the right pass.”

JEREMY JACQUET UPDATE: FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS LIVERPOOL INTEREST BUT RENNES DEMAND CLUB-RECORD FEE

Liverpool is battling Chelsea and Bayern Munich for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet as Arne Slot faces a mounting injury crisis.

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Liverpool is in advanced talks for Jeremy Jacquet, but Rennes hold out for the summer

Liverpool really wants to sign Jeremy Jacquet this month, but with Chelsea, Man United, and Arsenal also circling, it looks like they’ll have to wait until summer.

They just locked in a spot in the Champions League last 16 after cruising past Qarabag FK, so things are looking good on that front. This season, they’ve already faced a couple of those big clubs—snatching a last-gasp win over Atletico thanks to Van Dijk’s 92nd-minute header, but coming up short with a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in Turkey.

On Wednesday, Ryan Gravenberch ended up playing centre-back because Joe Gomez is out injured, and Ibrahima Konate is still away after his father passed away. They're really stretched at the back, especially with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both dealing with long-term injuries. The club decided not to go after Marc Guehi this month, which let Manchester City snap him up for under £30 million.

Now, Liverpool is eyeing Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. L’Equipe reported in January that Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, and Liverpool all want him. Fabrizio Romano gave an update, saying Liverpool would love to get the deal done now, but Rennes just don’t want to sell until summer. So, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern are all talking to Rennes and Jacquet’s people, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

With all these injuries piling up, people are wondering if Liverpool might try to bring in someone before the window closes. Arne Slot responded, saying the club always tries to make smart decisions, thinking about both the short and long term. That’s why they focus on signing young talent who can still develop—sometimes you just have to be patient and trust the process.

He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t have a massive squad packed with four right-backs, a dozen midfielders, or a handful of strikers. They need to be clever about their moves, balancing immediate needs with future plans.

As for the latest on injuries, Slot said they’ll see how Jeremie Frimpong is doing—maybe he won’t be fit for Saturday, but he could be ready soon after. With just one game a week coming up, injuries should ease up a bit, but you never know with football.

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