RIGHT-BACK REINFORCEMENTS: WILL CONOR BRADLEY AND JEREMIE FRIMPONG BOTH RETURN FOR SPURS CLASH
Liverpool’s right-back rotation reaches a turning point. We ask: Will Jeremie Frimpong finally justify his £29m price tag?
Liverpool could have both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong back when they play Tottenham Hotspur.
Right-back has been a tough spot for Liverpool this season. Already, six players have filled that role in the Premier League before we're even halfway through the year.
This inconsistency at fullback is one reason why Liverpool's title hopes faded so quickly. But for the game against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, Arne Slot might have his usual right-back options ready.
Conor Bradley returns after missing a game due to yellow card accumulation. This season has been stop-start for him, which has made it harder to take over from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Bradley's had two injuries, so his playing time has been carefully managed.
Jeremie Frimpong, who was signed to replace Alexander-Arnold, has also had a rough beginning. He came from Bayer Leverkusen for £29 million, but two hamstring injuries have limited him to just nine games. He's been out for almost two months since getting hurt in the 5-1 Champions League win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Slot said Frimpong might be back in training this week. With Liverpool missing some key players for the Tottenham game, Frimpong could be on the bench if he stays healthy.
Liverpool will be without their main wingers against Tottenham. Mo Salah is with Egypt at the African Cup of Nations, and Cody Gakpo is hurt.
Slot has changed his system recently, so even if they were fit, they might not have started. He's moved away from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 diamond. This has led to a five-game unbeaten run and moved Liverpool up to seventh in the league.
Using four midfielders—Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Alexis Mac Allister—has provided more stability and control in the middle of the field. It also allows Florian Wirtz to move into space on the left.
This diamond system could help Bradley do well if he starts against Spurs, as many expect. With Liverpool controlling the middle, there's more space on the wings for the full-backs. Even though he's not a natural attacker, Gomez was getting forward against Brighton. He was high up the pitch when he headed the ball to assist Hugo Ekitike's first-minute goal. He also got to the byline and passed back to Ekitike, who shot over the bar.
Since Bradley is a more attacking right-back, he should benefit, especially with Gravenberch or Jones offering defensive support in front of the centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
When Bradley came off the bench against Inter Milan in the Champions League, he showed glimpses of what he can do. He brought energy and enthusiasm and even had a shot saved in his 22-minute appearance.
When Frimpong is back, he should also benefit from the new setup. At Leverkusen, he often played as a wing-back, scoring 30 goals and assisting 44 times in 190 games. His crosses could help Alexander Isak get his Liverpool career going after a slow start with only one league goal.
On the left, Milos Kerkez has been improving. After signing from AFC Bournemouth for £40 million, he looked uncomfortable at first. But a few solid performances have boosted his confidence. Hopefully, he'll start showing the attacking skills that earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year.
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.”
Must Read
