Liverpool FC Thread #156 :- We Are Liverpool

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It was confirmed today that Michael Beale, Tom Culshaw, Gary McAllister and Jordan Milsom will join Steven Gerrard's backroom team at Glasgow Rangers.

Academy staff trio Beale, Culshaw and Milsom have taken up roles as first-team coach, technical coach and head of performance with the Scottish club respectively.

McAllister, a former teammate of Gerrard’s at Liverpool, has been appointed assistant manager to the Reds icon in his first senior managerial position.

We wish Beale, Culshaw, Milsom and McAllister the best of luck at Rangers.

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Ovie Ejaria has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool FC and immediately joined Rangers on a season-long loan, subject to international clearance.

Having agreed fresh terms to commit his future to the Reds, the midfielder sealed a temporary switch to the Scottish side – now managed by Steven Gerrard – for the duration of the forthcoming campaign.

“It’s a really great feeling. I’ve been at Liverpool for four years now and I’m just really happy to extend my stay here,” the 20-year-old told Liverpoolfc.com.

“It’s a massive club, the club’s doing really well at the moment, so it wasn’t a hard decision at all.”

Ejaria, who joined the club’s Academy from Arsenal in 2014, has clocked up eight first-team appearances for Liverpool thus far, all of which came during the 2016-17 season.

He spent the second half of last term on loan at Sunderland, featuring 11 times in the Championship.

Now the next step in his development will come under the stewardship of Gerrard, following the Reds legend’s appointment as manager of the Glasgow club.

Asked to outline his targets for the coming campaign and beyond, Ejaria added: “I’m just going to keep working hard and see where that takes me.

“I really want to be a regular at Liverpool Football Club, a massive club, so that’s my aim.”

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Liverpool have received encouragement in their attempt to sign Nabil Fekir with Lyon revealing they are open to signing Hatem Ben Arfa as a potential replacement.

Jurgen Klopp is keen on £60million-rated Fekir as he looks to bolster his attacking options during the summer.

The player's agent, Jean-Pierre Bernes, confirmed Liverpool's interest over the weekend but said a deal was not close, with Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid also said to be monitoring the 24-year-old.

Lyon are not encouraging bids for the attacking midfielder but admit they will not stand in his way should the right offer be forthcoming.

The French side would also prefer to line up a replacement before agreeing his sale.

And Lyon president Jean-Michael Aulas has revealed he would welcome a move for Paris Saint-Germain outcast Hatem Ben Arfa – who plays in the same position as Fekir – but only if players leave the club this summer.



“He is an excellent player who could do well in Lyon,” said Aulas to L'Equipe. “But we should already see if players leave us because we don't intend to stack them.

“To consider his return, we should also talk to each other. Two years ago, we had a lot of contact before Sevilla and then PSG intervened. I don't want a repeat of that.

“If we speak, if there are departures and if there is a real interest on his part, why not?”

Ben Arfa is a free agent in the summer and failed to make a single appearance for PSG this term. The 31-year-old's last competitive appearance was in March 2017.

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Roberto Firmino has revealed Roma goalkeeper Alisson has asked about the possibility of a move to Liverpool this summer.

And Firmino is hopeful his Brazil international team-mate will join him at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp is expected to overhaul his goalkeeping department this summer with doubts about the long-term futures of both Simon Mignolet and Danny Ward.

Liverpool have been linked with several keepers in the summer, the most strongest and persistent being that with Alisson.

The Reds informed the player's representatives in March not to expect a bid this summer, but that could change as Klopp considers his options with Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak being monitored.

And Firmino , who is with Alisson in the Brazil national team preparing for this month's World Cup finals in Russia, has been asked if the goalkeeper has spoken to him about life at Anfield.

“Yes, he asked me about Liverpool and I hope he can come here, but I know he has other proposals,” said Firmino at a media conference with Brazil on Wednesday.

“From time to time I will give him a pinch to come to Liverpool and help us, but it's with his agents.



“It wouldn't be bad if he came to Liverpool.”

Roma, chastened by selling Mohamed Salah to Liverpool last summer for a price that now appears cheap, are determined to avoid a repeat with Alisson.

Reports in Italy suggest they have slapped a price tag on the goalkeeper of between 70million and 80m euros.

Real Madrid are also reported to be interested in Alisson, with Chelsea having also been linked during the last week.

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Another day brings us a fresh batch of Liverpool transfer rumours to get well and truly stuck into.

With transfer rumours now gathering some searing pace, we've rounded up the latest reports doing the round across the worldwide web on Thursday.

Ousmane Dembele



Who? Barcelona's jet-heeled France international who they parted with more than £100m to sign last summer from Borussia Dortmund.

Where? This particular report from the ever (un)reliable Don Balon have claimed Barca are looking to use Liverpool's interest in Dembele to nudge ahead of Real Madrid for a certain Mohamed Salah.

This is all being reported despite Salah's agent very publicly shooting down Barca's reported interest on Twitter on Wednesday.

What? Another Don Balon story that has our eyes rolling. This won't come to fruition, we are almost certain.

Jan Oblak



Who? Atletico Madrid's Slovenian international who has blossomed into one of the finest goalkeepers across Europe.

Where? The Daily Mirror have reported that the Reds have been priced out of a move for the £80million-rated shot-stopper.

They report : "His contract at the Wanda Metropolitano runs for three more years, but Liverpool made an enquiry to the Spanish club over whether he would be available this summer.

"However, Atleti's response was a price in excess of £80million, believed to be the release clause in his contract.

"Liverpool will simply refuse to pay that figure - more than double the current world record fee for a goalkeeper."

What? Liverpool proved with their move for Virgil van Dijk that they will pay the big money if Jurgen Klopp feels a player will improve their first-team, but £80m for a goalkeeper is an eye-watering fee, even in these crazy times.

Nabil Fekir



Who? You know who. Lyon's captain who Liverpool have earmarked as a prime summer target.

Where? The Independent have reported that Liverpool's pursuit has taken a sizeable step forward. Simon Hughes writes : "Liverpool's summer transfer programme accelerated on Wednesday, with the probability of at least one target being secured inside the next 24 hours increasing dramatically.

"While the club’s chances of signing Nabil Fekir ahead of the World Cup became much greater when Lyon’s president accepted that the player only wishes to move to Anfield, progress was made on a deal for Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri.

"Jurgen Klopp has identified the need for two new creative additions capable of functioning in a number of attacking positions."

What? Liverpool have been keen to wrap up this deal before the World Cup but have been met with resistance from Lyon and their president Jean-Michel Aulas. The Reds would prefer to conclude this deal sooner rather than later.

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Jurgen Klopp's transfer history suggests he should be trusted over Liverpool's Moses Simon pursuit

It was a name that instantly sent scores of Liverpool fans to Google.

Moses Simon - Liverpool's latest summer transfer target - is not exactly a household name to the majority of Reds supporters, and news of the club's interest on Tuesday was perhaps met more with intrigue than excitement.

Jurgen Klopp has identified the £10million-rated Gent winger is someone who can add some depth to one of the best frontlines in Europe. Searing pace is one of the Nigerian international's biggest assets, which means he could slot into one of the wide areas with minimum of fuss next term.



However, after a season which led Liverpool to the brink of European Cup No.6, much is expected from Klopp's Reds next term and Simon's lack of starpower has perhaps got some supporters concerned.

Liverpool struggled when Klopp opted to rest the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah at times last season and the feeling among some sections of the support is more big-name quality is needed to stave off such scenarios in the upcoming season.

Perhaps such worries have come from many being unaware of the qualities of Gent winger Simon. His lack of participation at this summer's World Cup is only down to injury and he is highly rated by those who watch him regularly.

Klopp has previous for unearthing a gem or two in the transfer market. The German's track record is littered with low-key signings who have blossomed into some of the finest talents across Europe.

Should Liverpool land Simon, he won't be the first player Klopp has plucked from relative obscurity. Here are just some of the reasons why the Reds manager should be trusted implicitly in the transfer market.

Lucas Barrios



Klopp brought Lucas Barrios to Dortmund in the summer of 2009 from Colo Colo in Chile for less than £4m.

After keeping tabs on him in South America where he netted 37 goals in the 2008-2009 campaign, Klopp was convinced the forward was the man to help spearhead a charge towards Bundesliga glory.

Barrios settled quickly in Germany and netted 23 goals in all competitions in his first season. He then finished as the club's top scorer 12 months later with 16 as they won the Bundesliga title in 2011.

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Shinji Kagawa



Kagawa was a 21-year-old plying his trade for Cerezo Osaka in his Japanese homeland when Klopp made his move in the summer of 2010.

The then Borussia Dortmund coach snared the attacking midfielder for around £300,000 and helped him become one of the most stylish playmakers in European football over the course of the next two years.

After 21 goals in 49 appearances, Kagawa's reputation had soared and he moved to Manchester United for around £16m and helped them to the Premier League title in 2013.

Robert Lewandowski



Lewandowski was a little-known striker turning out for Lech Poznan when Klopp signed him in the summer of 2010 for a fee of £3.9m.

Within a year, Lewandowski had won the Bundesliga title with BVB before helping them to another triumph alongside a DFB Pokal 12 months later with a 22-goal haul.

In January 2014, it was confirmed that Lewandowski had signed a pre-contract agreement with Bayern Munich. The Poland international is widely viewed as one of the best strikers in world football in 2018.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang



Gabon international Aubameyang was plucked from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2013 for just over £9m.

The striker instantly made everyone aware of his quality with a hat-trick on his debut against Augsburg. He finished as the Bundesliga's top scorer in the 2016/17 campaign with a 31-goal return.

In total Aubameyang netted 98 times for Dortmund before sealing a reported £60m switch to Arsenal in January 2018, with a reputation as one of the most deadly marksmen around.

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Fabinho put them into a frenzy. Nabil Fekir has made them fanatical. And Moses Simon gave them a pleasant surprise.

But news of Liverpool's interest in Xherdan Shaqiri has been met with significance indifference among Reds supporters.

They're not particularly bothered.

While there has been something exotic about the pursuit of the likes of Fekir and Simon, the same cannot be said about the emergence Shaqiri is one of the options being considered by Jurgen Klopp as he looks to bolster his attacking options.

That's what happens when you spend three years playing at Stoke City.

A Stoke City team, don't forget, that tumbled out of the Premier League last month in pretty miserable fashion.

Shaqiri, though, was one of the few success stories at the bet365 Stadium. Playing predominantly in his preferred right wing position, he started all bar two top-flight games this season and scored eight goals and contributed seven assists for a team that netted only 35 times.

Despite his at times dishevelled appearance, Shaqiri is still only 26 and is now approaching his prime and will feature for Switzerland in the forthcoming World Cup, his third major international tournament appearance.

He also has plenty of experience at club level, having played five seasons at Basel before almost three years at Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga twice, two German Cups and the Champions League, an unused substitute when Bayern beat Klopp's Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in 2013.

After a brief unhappy spell at Inter Milan, Shaqiri switched to Stoke City in 2015 having almost joined Everton.

Shaqiri – referred to earlier in his career as “the Alpine Messi” and, rather less flatteringly, “the magic dwarf” – is two-footed, can play across the front three and would be the pacy option Klopp is seeking.

And Reds fans concerned about picking up a player from a relegated team need only look at the example of Peter Crouch in 2005 and, much more recently, Andy Robertson since arriving from Hull City last summer.

With Liverpool going big on Nabil Fekir – the Reds are still waiting for Lyon to put an asking price on a player rated in France as around 60million euros – Klopp and his recruitment team are keen to pick up a bargain elsewhere.

One option being considered is Gent's Nigerian winger Simon, who is in the last year of his contract and is considered to be worth around £10m.

Shaqiri has a relegation release clause in his contract of £12m-£13.5m, with Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Everton all pondering a move.

As is the case with Simon, Liverpool have yet to make concrete any interest.

Shaqiri, though, would most likely jump at the chance of a move to Anfield having already once agreed such a transfer in 2014.

“That was my wish,” he revealed in 2016. “I had offers from Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. I opted for Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers contacted me a few times during the World Cup. But Bayern blocked my move.

“There were several talks and it got loud a few times. Those responsible at Bayern believed my situation would change, it didn't, and we were right.”

Now Shaqiri's situation will definitely change. Whether that involves Liverpool is very much a possibility.

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Liverpool have seemingly been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Nabil Fekir with Lyon claiming the player will almost certainly not move before the World Cup.

Jurgen Klopp wants to make £60million-rated Fekir his next major signing with the player having been scouted extensively during the past season.

The Reds would prefer to conclude at least one major deal before the finals begin in Russia next week, having already snapped up Fabinho from Monaco to join the incoming Naby Keita from RB Leipzig.

Fekir is their main target, with the player understood to want a move to Liverpool despite reported interest from Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

But Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has now suggested the 24-year-old, who is with the France squad preparing for the World Cup, will almost certainly remain at the Ligue 1 side until after the finals.

In a video on Lyon's official website, Aulas said of Fekir: “The deal is at a standstill, there is no way forward.



“The deal will certainly not be closed during the World Cup and I don't think there will be any change before the World Cup.

“We haven't set a price tag because we haven't discussed this (Fekir's transfer) yet.”

Liverpool are seeking a further signing to bolster their attacking ranks, and are pondering Stoke City's Xherdan Shaqiri or Gent's Nigeria international winger Moses Simon.