BETTER OPTIONS? THE REAL REASON ARNE SLOT REFUSES TO START CALVIN RAMSAY
Arne Slot confirms he will not use Calvin Ramsay against Sunderland despite losing four right-backs. Read the full injury report.
Arne Slot has said that he isn't planning on using Calvin Ramsay, even though Liverpool has some injury problems at right-back.
The Reds are heading to Sunderland on Wednesday night with a few defensive selection issues.
Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley, the team's first and second choices for right-back, are both injured. Dominik Szoboszlai, who can also play on that side of the defence, is suspended.
Joe Gomez might be back from his injury, but his return is still uncertain, and Slot will also be without centre-back Giovanni Leoni.
When asked about Ramsay at a press conference on Tuesday, Slot said, Usually, if you lose a game, the players who aren't playing suddenly seem like the best ones. It happens everywhere.
This is another example. I want to support all my players. I've picked other players until now, and I'll continue to do that tomorrow.
Slot mentioned that Gomez could be back and that midfielders Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo could also play right-back.
Liverpool does have Calvin Ramsay, a right-back, available in the squad.
The Scotland international joined from Aberdeen in 2022 but has only played three times for the first team and hasn't yet played in the Premier League.
It doesn’t look like Ramsay will get a chance on Wednesday, as Slot explained why he doesn’t plan to pick him.
Joe hasn't practised with us yet. 'I think he'll be back today,' Slot said.
If Joe can't start, we're missing four players who can play right-back. Curtis and Wata have played there before, so we've had six different right full-backs.
Ramsay signed with Liverpool for over £4m under Jurgen Klopp but has spent time on loan at Preston, Bolton, Wigan, and Kilmarnock.
He's been with the first team this season, sitting on the bench during Sunday's loss to Manchester City at Anfield.
That was the eleventh time Ramsay has been on the bench in the Premier League this season, and he hasn't been used.
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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