TOUGH LOVE? WHAT VAN DIJK REALLY SAID TO KERKEZ DURING THOSE AUTUMN STRUGGLES
Liverpool reach the FA Cup fifth round: Read Van Dijk’s verdict on Milos Kerkez’s rise and the latest on Mohamed Salah’s future.
That moment really summed up the tough patch Liverpool went through earlier in the season. Back then, Virgil van Dijk’s on-field shouts towards Milos Kerkez probably leaned more critical than kind. Things have turned around, though. Now, if Van Dijk’s hollering at Kerkez, there’s a good chance it’s praise.
Kerkez has kept up his strong run, grabbing man of the match as Liverpool knocked out Brighton on Saturday to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Getting to this point hasn’t exactly been a breeze for Kerkez. He came in from Bournemouth last summer for £40 million and is expected to fill Andy Robertson’s shoes long-term. Not the easiest gig.
But Van Dijk has seen Kerkez settle in. The young left-back set up Curtis Jones for Liverpool’s opener against Brighton, and he’s starting to get what it means to play for this club.
“You can see he’s getting better,” Van Dijk said. “He’s so young, still getting used to being a Liverpool player, and it’s more than just playing football here. When the team’s up and down, it’s tough to show your best.
"But with Robbo helping him and the rest of us, plus his own hard work, he’s making real progress. There’s so much more for him to learn, which is great. He just needs to keep at it.
“He’s got loads of energy; he’s young, you know? We all had that when we were his age. He wants to learn.
"And the price tag? Nothing you can do about it. When I signed for £75 million, it was the same thing. Big money, but what can you do?”
Earlier in the season, Van Dijk often played the tough mentor, always talking to Kerkez, sometimes giving him blunt advice. It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but Van Dijk knew it was part of the process.
“I’ve had plenty of chats with him on the pitch; we need to work together, whether it’s covering for each other or sorting out positioning,” Van Dijk said.
"You have to understand each other, and Robbo and I had that for years. It comes with time and games.
"Of course, we talk on the pitch and behind the scenes just like everyone else. We’re all trying to be the best team we can be.”
Saturday wasn’t just about Kerkez, though. Mohamed Salah put on a show too, setting up Dominik Szoboszlai for the second and then winning and scoring the penalty for Liverpool’s third.
Not long ago, people worried that a home win over Brighton would be Salah’s last Liverpool match before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, especially after he came out swinging with comments about being scapegoated and having no real relationship with Arne Slot.
Since then, things have calmed down. Salah came back from international duty with two goals and four assists in seven games.
Van Dijk knows just how much Salah means to Liverpool. “Mo is still huge for us. Last week, he got another assist and broke another record. As captain, having him around means a lot to me, and the team is better with him out there.
"He always brings more than goals, but people focus on his scoring. That’s the price of setting such high standards; if he isn’t banging them in, he gets stick.
"He just needs to stay calm and keep doing what he does, because he’s got so much more to give. He’s a big presence for us, on and off the pitch.”
Of course, people are still talking about Salah’s future. The Saudi Pro League is circling, ready to make another move for him this summer.
Van Dijk takes it as it comes. “It is what it is. All our focus is on making this season a success. We’ll see what happens after that.
"I always want Mo to stay. He’s a good friend; we’ve been through the highs and the not-so-highs together for years. I’m in the same spot with one more year left on my contract, so we’ll see.”
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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