THE INSTAGRAM CLUE: WHAT KONATE’S ZIPPED-MOUTH EMOJI REALLY MEANS FOR FLORIAN WIRTZ
Florian Wirtz finally breaks his Liverpool duck! See the heartwarming reactions from Van Dijk, Isak, and Konate after the 2-1 win.
After Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Wolves on Saturday, the players kept showing Florian Wirtz the love. The German midfielder's goal wrapped up a good performance, ending a tough year on a high note.
Wirtz made a big £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen in June. Before Alexander Isak came to Liverpool, that was the highest amount ever paid by a British team. Since then, the 22-year-old has needed some time to get used to his new team and surroundings, and the team as a group has had its share of struggles.
But the Reds are finishing 2025 strong with four wins in a row, and Wirtz is now really taking off in his Anfield career.
He celebrated his first goal on Instagram with photos of him celebrating with his teammates in front of the Main Stand. Liverpool's players seemed really happy to see him score and showed their support on his post.
Alexander Isak, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, Ibrahima Konate, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Oakley Cannonier, Rio Ngumoha, Ryan Gravenberch, Virgil van Dijk, Wataru Endo, and Will Wright all liked the post.
Plus, some of them left comments. Isak, Kerkez, and Frimpong (Wirtz's good friend who came with him from Leverkusen and assisted Gravenberch's first goal on Saturday) left red heart emojis.
Gravenberch and Jones sent fire emojis, while Konate's response was interesting. He just left a zipped-mouth emoji, not saying anything else.
Wirtz got a lot of criticism while he waited to score after his big transfer to Liverpool this summer, but that died down after he made the difference against Wolves.
Wirtz told BBC Sport after ending his goalless run: It felt great to be on the field with the fans. I was very happy, and I still am.
I knew I would score eventually. I wanted to start scoring and assisting sooner, but it is what it is, and I have to deal with it. I know it will happen, and I'm trying to keep going.
We played great in the first half. Everyone worked hard. In the last 20 minutes, we made it hard on ourselves. I can't explain why, but we need to fix that.
That's how we want to play. We want to be up there at the top of the table. It hasn't been an easy start for us, but we're getting better and getting the points.
ALAN SHEARER DEMANDS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHY FOR ARNE SLOT TO KEEP JOB
Arne Slot under fire! See the Shearer vs Richards debate on The Rest Is Football podcast about Liverpool’s future.
Alan Shearer thinks Arne Slot needs to actually win the Champions League if he wants to stay in charge at Liverpool, but Micah Richards sees things differently. He says Slot deserves another season, no matter what happens.
Right now, Slot’s under real pressure. Liverpool’s Premier League title defence has been a mess. They got humiliated in the FA Cup, losing 4-0 to Manchester City, and things aren’t looking any better as they head to France to face PSG in the Champions League quarter-final. If they don’t win in Europe, they probably miss out on the Champions League next season at least, that’s how Shearer sees it, since their league form has been awful.
On The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer was blunt: “It’s crazy, especially after last season and all the money they’ve spent. It just hasn’t worked; they’re all over the place, so inconsistent. He has to win the Champions League. I’m not even sure finishing top five will be enough, and it’s just sad seeing how things have gone at Liverpool.”
Back in January, Shearer said he expected Slot to get sacked if he didn’t secure Champions League football for next year. There’s a small lifeline: the Premier League might get an extra Champions League spot through the coefficient rankings, but that’s not confirmed yet.
If that happens, fifth place gets you in. Liverpool is fifth right now, but the race is tight. Only five points separate them from ninth-place Fulham, and teams like Chelsea, Brentford, and Everton are waiting for any slip-ups, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Shearer’s convinced Slot is in trouble if he misses out on the top European competition. Richards, though, thinks the Dutchman’s earned more patience, especially after winning the league just last season.
Richards said, “I’d give him another season. I hate calling it a transition, and yeah, he’s spent a lot of money, but their main striker’s been out injured, there’s been tragedy in the club, the whole contract saga with Salah has been one thing after another. Give him one more pre-season. If things aren’t fixed by Christmas, then fine, make the change. Let’s not forget, he just won the Premier League.”
Shearer wasn’t buying it. He cut in: “That’s fine, but after winning the league, they’re miles off this season, even after all that spending. I hear what you’re saying about bad luck and circumstances, but this is Liverpool. They’re expected to win, and they’ve spent a fortune. They might not even finish in the top five, that’s why he has to win the Champions League.”
FABRIZIO ROMANO CLARIFIES REAL MADRID’S STANCE ON SELLING LIVERPOOL TARGET EDUARDO CAMAVINGA
Fabrizio Romano reveals Real Madrid's stance on Camavinga as Liverpool battles Man Utd for Maghnes Akliouche.
Liverpool is going head-to-head with Manchester United for a talented winger who could step in for Mohamed Salah. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has weighed in on Real Madrid’s position regarding a possible sale of a major Liverpool midfield target.
With Salah officially confirming he’ll leave Anfield at the end of the season, Liverpool have agreed to let him go for free, waiving the final year of his contract as a mark of respect for what he’s done for the club.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande looks like the favourite to replace Salah. But Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche has become a serious option, too.
Both Liverpool and United have ramped up their interest in Akliouche, recently sending scouts to watch him in Monaco’s 2-1 win over Marseille. Liverpool sees him as a real target after Salah’s departure, mainly because of his versatility, creativity, and potential for growth.
They’ve checked in on other top wingers like Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, but Akliouche seems to be a more realistic option. Monaco is open to a sale, but wants about €70 million (about £61 million).
United, though, are now in the mix as well. So Liverpool has some competition for Akliouche, who tallied seven goals and eight assists in his 37 games this season.
On the Real Madrid front, French outlet L’Equipe claims the club could be willing to sell Eduardo Camavinga, a player Liverpool wants for their midfield. Romano responded, saying that while Madrid isn’t shoving Camavinga out the door, they would consider a strong offer from Liverpool.
Romano made it clear: Camavinga’s still a key part of Madrid’s plans, even if his form’s dipped a bit lately. Madrid doesn’t want to lose him unless a really attractive deal comes along. If no huge offer arrives, they simply keep him.
Some whispers suggest Camavinga could be available for as little as €50 million (£44 million), but the real price is likely to be closer to €70 million.
Back at Liverpool, Paul Joyce reports that FSG’s confidence in new boss Arne Slot will get tested soon, with a tough run of fixtures featuring PSG, Everton, Man United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa.
Journalist Pete O’Rourke even says Liverpool would be ready to sack Slot if things go sour and the atmosphere turns toxic.
Former player Steve Nicol has also changed his mind about Slot. Initially, he pushed back on the idea of bringing in Xabi Alonso, but now he admits that, given the current options, he’d go for Alonso if Slot departs. In Nicol’s eyes, if Slot leaves, Alonso wouldn’t be a bad solution; nobody else stands out as a better pick.
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