Liverpool FC Thread #156 :- We Are Liverpool

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Dejan Lovren says he received a congratulatory text from Jurgen Klopp after the semi-final win over England. "He's proud of me and what I achieved. He knows what I went through. He's a good man. Even in tough times, he was always backing me up. I appreciated that."

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Dejan Lovren, a former Croatian refugee who's been abused by his own fans, mocked by the media, had his house burgled, labelled tripe - just pocketed one of the world's most prolific centre-forwards and told everyone: 'I'm one of the best on the planet' with a smile on his face

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Jurgen Klopp reveals how he will decide on the Liverpool future of Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge

Jurgen Klopp has thrown down the gauntlet to Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi to prove they have a future at Liverpool.

The strike duo returned to Melwood this summer after struggling to make an impact out on loan last term.

Sturridge failed to score during an injury-plagued spell with relegated West Brom, while Origi netted just seven times in 36 appearances for Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg.

With fellow frontman Danny Ings keen to pursue a new challenge and Dominic Solanke still learning his trade, the opportunity is there for Sturridge and Origi to force their way back into Klopp's plans and compete with Roberto Firmino for a starting spot.

Sturridge, who has been the subject of interest from Sevilla and Fenerbahce, has started pre-season the brighter of the two with Origi yet to get off the mark.

Klopp insists performances over the coming weeks will determine where they are playing their football in 2018/19.



“It's how it is for all of them,” he said.

“They have all the quality, you can see that, they are all really good football players.

“The boys, we need them. We play the games, we have the training sessions, they are nice fellas so it’s nice to have them around and then let’s see how it fits at the end.

“But it’s all about the boys. My door is that wide open so why should I make a decision today?

“I watch the games, I lead the sessions and then I make a decision at a specific point, but that’s not today and it’s not next week so we have still time.

“Everybody has a place here. I would be really crazy if I would not give these boys a chance - they are fantastic players, they’ve played fantastic games, so we will see what happens.”

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With the World Cup into its final few days, Liverpool have sprung into action in the transfer market by opening talks with Stoke for Xherdan Shaqiri.

The Switzerland international has been enjoying some time off after his exertions in Russia, but he is the subject of interest from the Reds, with Jurgen Klopp keen to bring him to Anfield this summer.

Shaqiri would offer some much-needed depth to the wide areas and would come with 84 games worth of Premier League experience, having joined the Potters from Inter in 2015.

The former Bayern Munich winger has a reported buyout clause of around £13.5million with the relegated Stoke, meaning a deal for the 26-year-old could prove to be a shrewd piece of business.



But just what would Liverpool be getting for the relatively cut-price fee?

Shaqiri netted eight goals last season, which was his best return of the three years he spent at the bet365 Stadium in the top flight.

Should he have scored that amount for the Reds last season, he would have finished the campaign as the Reds' fourth top scorer in the Premier League below Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, who blasted in a remarkable 91 between them in all competitions.

The Swiss also claimed seven assists to comfortably mark him out as the Potters' most effective attacking weapon.

The predominantly left-footed Shaqiri had as many as 69 shots last term, with a shooting accuracy of 46 per cent for a side who struggled to carve out clear-cut chances throughout most a campaign that saw them relegated.

Opta stats record Shaqiri as having created as many as 77 chances for a side that scored 35 times with three 'big chances' of his own missed.

He is credited with creating 14 'big chances' for Stoke, which appears all the more impressive when you consider Sadio Mane is noted as making just nine for Liverpool alongside Mohamed Salah's 12.



Those numbers would perhaps see his assists output rise should he make the switch to Klopp's free-scoring Reds this summer.

Shaqiri might have to refine his game somewhat though if he is to join. The ex-Bayern Munich wideman sent over 201 crosses last term with a success rate of 28 per cent .

Klopp's side are not known for slinging in crosses from wide areas and prefer to pick teams apart with runners into the penalty area.

For example, Mane, who operates largely on the left side of the front three, made just 32, with right-sided Salah contributing 97.

Stoke are resigned to losing their star man this summer and while Shaqiri would not enjoy the same high-profile status he was afforded last season, the modest fee for a 26-year-old international winger could prove to a shrewd move by Klopp.

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It has been one of the most exclusive clubs in Liverpool's history.

But now it is set to acquire a new member for the first time in eight years.

Only four players have appeared in a World Cup final while on the books at Anfield.

That number, though, will surely increase at the weekend after Croatia booked their place in the World Cup final against France with a semi-final win over England on Wednesday evening.



Dejan Lovren has been rock-solid at the heart of a Croatia defence that has held firm against Denmark, Russia and England to help book a place in their first-ever World Cup final.

The centre-back helped his side deny Liverpool team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson a place in the final themselves.

But who are the other four Reds to have previously appeared in football's most famous fixture?

Roger Hunt 1966



The only Liverpool player to start a World Cup final and lift the trophy, Hunt featured in all six of England's games during the finals.

He scored once against Mexico and a brace against France in the group stage, and was the nearest England player to Geoff Hurst's shot in extra time during the final against West Germany that may or may not have crossed the line.

“I had a good view of it because I was only four or five yards away,” recalls Hunt. “I just thought it was over. I turned around and put my arm up.

“I thought it was bouncing into the back of the net and then it came out. I still think it was over – and it’s been proved.”

It finished 4-2 to England. Just in case you'd forgotten.

Dietmar Hamann 2002



Although Hamann had scored a famous winner against England in the qualifiers in the final game ever played at the old Wembley Stadium, a 5-1 defeat in the reverse fixture meant a finals place wasn't a certainty.

Germany being Germany, though, they not only negotiated a play-off to reach South Korea and Japan, they scrapped all the way through to the final.

Brazil, however, were simply too good, Ronaldo scoring twice to banish his own demons from four years earlier against France.

Dirk Kuyt 2010



Much like England and Croatia, not much was expected of Holland when they journeyed to South Africa for the finals.

However, six wins in a row – beating Japan, Denmark, Cameroon, Slovakia, Brazil and Uruguay – put the Dutch into the showpiece against favourites Spain.

Kuyt had featured in every game while scoring once, and lasted 71 minutes into the final on the left wing before being replaced. The excitement was still to come, however.

Fernando Torres 2010



Injury threatened to cost Torres his place in the finals but he recovered in time to appear in every game for Spain as they lifted the trophy for the first time.

Three of his seven appearances were from the bench, including the final itself when he came on for the last 15 minutes of extra time against Holland.

That, though, was enough time to play his part in the build-up to Andres Iniesta's late winning goal.

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Liverpool have no immediate plans to make a move for in-demand Roma goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

Reports in Italy this morning have claimed the Reds have made an offer for the Brazilian worth 60million euros plus 5m in add-ons.

However, such suggestions are wide of the mark with Liverpool not considering a bid for the 25-year-old at present.

There has been no contact with Roma and no change in the Reds' stance from earlier this year when they informed Alisson's representatives not to expect a bid this summer.

Liverpool had been monitoring the Brazilian but believe prising him away from the Serie A side would prove difficult given the player's believed price tag in excess of 70m euros.

Roma are wary of having their fingers burned after last year selling Mohamed Salah to Liverpool for what now appears a cut-price £36.9m.

It's also understood Alisson would prefer a move to Real Madrid, with the Spaniards having joined Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in being linked with a strong interest.



While Roma have no intention of selling Alisson, and the player has not asked to be put up for sale, their sporting director Monchi admitted this week the club were duty bound to listen to offers.

“He has the same chance of staying as all the other players we have not received any offers for,” he said. “If one arrives, we will study it and make a decision.”

Jurgen Klopp is considering his goalkeeping options during the transfer window with Simon Mignolet likely to pursue a departure.

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Flying Nigerian winger lifts the lid on Liverpool interest after reports of £10million transfer

Moses Simon has spoken out over interest from Liverpool after being linked with a move to the Reds.

Reports in the ECHO last month revealed that the flying Nigerian international winger was a £10million target for Jurgen Klopp with Anfield chiefs weighing up a deal on the player who has just one year remaining on his current contract at KAA Gent.

Simon, who turns 23 today, netted six goals in 29 Jupiler League games last season but missed the World Cup finals with a thigh injury.

Now back fit and taking part in pre-season training, he told AOI Football:

“Well, for now, I’m still a player of KAA Gent; obviously, there was interest from Liverpool but nothing is concrete for now.

“I’m currently in Holland with the rest of the squad and we are getting ready for the new season.

“We have a game against PAOK in two days; hopefully, I might play in that one.”

At just 5ft 6in, the former Ajax youth player - full name Moses Daddy-Ajala Simon - is a diminutive and tricky wide man so given that the Reds have now opened negotiations with Stoke City for Xherdan Shaqiri, a player of a similar ilk, they may well have moved on to alternative targets.

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp set to give Danny Ward opportunity to be first-choice goalkeeper

Jurgen Klopp is ready to give Danny Ward an opportunity to prove he can become Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper.

Klopp has been hugely impressed with Ward since the squad reconvened for pre-season training at the start of the month.

And with Loris Karius continuing to struggle in the wake of his Champions League final nightmare, Ward is now poised to be given an extended chance during pre-season.

Reds boss Klopp has been impressed with the attitude of the 25-year-old Wales international, who is understood to have raised his levels at Melwood in recent weeks.

Now Ward could have forced his way into the box seat between the sticks as the countdown continues to the start of the Premier League season.

Karius has been under intense scrutiny since his two errors during the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in May, with it later emerging he had suffered concussion during the game.

The German appeared nervous during Liverpool's opening pre-season friendly at Chester City last weekend, and was responsible for a poor error in conceding a goal in the 3-2 win at Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday.



By comparison, Ward was a steady influence during his 45-minute appearances in both games, and is now poised to be given increased game time over the coming weeks.

Liverpool continue their preparations at Bury on Saturday before a trip to Blackburn Rovers the following Thursday.

The Reds then fly out for their tour of the United States where they will face Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Manchester United.

With Simon Mignolet unavailable due to World Cup commitments with Belgium, Ward and Karius are the only two senior goalkeepers expected to travel.

Ward made just one appearance for Liverpool last season having spent the previous campaign on loan at Huddersfield Town, who he helped guide to promotion to the Premier League.

Klopp is still considering his goalkeeping options with Mignolet touted for a departure before the transfer window closes next month.

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New Twist in Liverpool's Chase of Nabil Fekir as Lyon President Accepts Player's Request

The off again, on again saga surrounding Nabil Fekir's potential move to ​Liverpool took another dramatic twist this week, as the Frenchman has told Lyon's owner that he still has his heart set on joining the Reds.

Additionally, the ​Daily Mirror report that Fekir has reached an agreement with Les Gones' owner Jean Michel Aulas to reopen talks with the Merseyside club in the hope of making his 'dream' move become a reality.



Fekir, who will be part of the French squad that will meet Croatia in the World Cup final this Sunday, has met twice with Aulas during Les Bleus' World Cup run in Russia - most recently after France's victory over Belgium in the semi-final, when the Lyon owner (who is an influential figure within the French Football Federation (FFF)) joined the celebrating players in the changing room post match.

The two men - including Fekir's advisor Jean-Pierre Bernes - sat down to discuss the midfielder's desire to move to Liverpool.

The initial £53m deal apparently collapsed after the Reds hesitated following Fekir's medical and made Lyon pull the plug at the eleventh hour. The Mirror report that Liverpool would be prepared to listen to a revised deal for Fekir - but are still willing to pay the full £53m for the 24-year-old's services.

Instead, the issue lies with the surgery Fekir had to repair anterior cruciate ligament damage, and the Reds are concerend about his long-term health. As such, Liverpool would like to see the fee paid over the full length of his contract (five years on around £120,000-a-week), and not all up front.

For Aulas' part, he has acknowledge to Fekir that he wants to help him achieve his dream move, but will only negotiate with Liverpool on Lyon's terms.

Reds' fans will have to be patient as renewed talks between the two parties won't happen until after the World Cup, but they should be optimistic that a proposed deal is still possible - pending Aulas' willingness to change the structure of the original deal.

[NI KI]

Hendo Talk

Luka Modric got the better of Jordan Henderson in Croatia’s 2-1 extra-time victory over England last night, Jack Watson of the Independent claims.

Henderson was influential in the Three Lions’ march to the semi-finals but was replaced by Eric Dier during extra-time, with Watson noticing Modric’s increasing influence on the game.

“His time on the ball increased and with that the number of chances that Croatia created. Henderson had been so quick at closing down the space in midfield but Modric had started orchestrating the game to a level which left the England midfielder a mere spectator.

“In extra-time Southgate had seen enough. Henderson made way for Dier who was introduced to freshen up the England midfield after it had wearily limped to full time.”

Watson, though, believes England’s heroics may not have been possible without Henderson’s heroics.

“Henderson’s role in this side may never get the appreciation it deserved, and perhaps rightly so because England’s success has been entirely down to the team performances.

“But make no mistake, England’s run which ended in the semi-finals may not have been had it not been for Henderson’s vital role in Southgate’s system which has finally given England an identity again.”