Liverpool transfer news, rumours, gossip and speculation including latest on Karim Adeyemi, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, Jules Kounde, Jude Bellingham, Sadio Mane, Darwin Nunez and more
Hello and welcome to the Liverpool ECHO's Thursday live blog for all your very latest Liverpool news, rumours and transfer gossip.
The ECHO will provide breaking stories, reaction and comment to all the big talking points from Anfield as well as keeping tabs on the transfer market around the world.
Liverpool have been sent a firm transfer warning from Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro that rumoured target Florian Wirtz won't be leaving the Bundesliga club until at least 2024.
Elsewhere, reports claim Aston Villa 'still like' defender Joe Gomez.
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Mohamed Salah has been a fan favourite of Liverpool supporters from the very moment he arrived at the club in the summer of 2017 from AS Roma.
The Egyptian forward plundered a remarkable 42 goals in all competitions during his debut campaign and has consistently delivered for Jurgen Klopp's side within the final third.
Salah has scored 20 goals or more in all competitions in each of his campaigns to date at Liverpool, taking his game to another level this term.
The remarkable performances of the Egyptian on the pitch has translated to increasing shirt sales off the pitch, with the 29-year-old currently proving to be the most popular name printed on the back of supporters' shirts throughout 2021/22.
MORE HERE.
Liverpool great Ian Rush believes his old side have been 'getting away with it' in recent weeks but is backing them to claim all three points this weekend.
Just over a week on from edging past Norwich City in the FA Cup at Anfield, the Reds then beat West Ham United on Saturday evening in the Premier League.
But almost a year to the day since their last Anfield defeat, Liverpool lost 1-0 at home to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Lautaro Martinez was on target for Inter, who were reduced to 10 men just moments after taking the lead when Alexis Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card.
However, the Reds still booked their place in the last-eight thanks to their 2-0 win in the first leg at the San Siro a couple of weeks ago.
Having scored 109 goals in their previous 43 games, this was a rare occasion Liverpool failed to find the net, and Rush believes they weren’t at the races.
MORE HERE.
Fulham boss Marco Silva believes former Liverpool winger Harry Wilson still has plenty of potential to develop as the Cottagers close in on a return to the Premier League.
Silva's side are currently 14 points clear at the top of the Championship table and are looking good value to be playing top-flight football once more next campaign.
Wilson has been at the heart of Fulham's success this term, scoring nine goals and registering 14 assists in 31 league outings.
Discussing the fine form of the Welshman, Silva told West London Sport: "[Wilson] has been here the last seven months and the ambition to be involved in this project was one of the main things that has impressed me and I am really happy with him,” .
“The good thing is that I know that he can do much more. He can improve. The room to improve is still there and is really big."
Chelsea have released a club statement following this morning's development that their owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government.
Abramovich has been under the spotlight within the last week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with many calling for the owner of the Londoners to have his assets frozen due to links with Vladimir Putin.
That is precisely what has now happened, leaving Chelsea in limbo amid their search for a new owner.
Commenting on the developing situation, a club statement read: "Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government.
"By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich. However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities.
"We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence. This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible. We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities.
"The Club will update further when it is appropriate to do so."
Such has been the impact of Luis Diaz at Liverpool, the January signing has even surprised himself over his ability to seamlessly slot into Jurgen Klopp's side.
Questions were raised over how long it would take the 25-year-old to adapt to the Premier League following his move from Porto, though he has emphatically silenced any doubts supporters may have previously had.
Diaz provided an early indication of his quality inside 10 minutes of his Liverpool debut against Cardiff City, regaining possession in the final third before teeing up Takumi Minamino to fire home, and has since gone from strength to strength after being thrown in at the deep end by Klopp.
The Colombian has impressed in each of his nine outings to date, notably in the Carabao Cup final versus Chelsea as the Reds secured their first piece of silverware of the season.
Asked if he has been shocked by his ability to hit the ground running in such style, Diaz said: "It has been a bit of a surprise, yeah.
To read the full story, click here.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government following the military invasion of Ukraine, it has been reported.
Russian billionaire Abramovich is one of seven oligarchs to have had his UK assets frozen, including Chelsea, which means he can no longer put money into the club.
The sanctions also mean that the 55-year-old's plan to sell the current European and World champions have been put on hold.
The Government is putting in place a licence that will ensure Chelsea can fulfil their fixtures and ensure that staff and players can still be paid.
But despite still being able to operate as a football club, the sanctions dictate that the Premier League outfit will not be able to sell tickets for any matches and only existing season-ticket holders will be able to attend home games.
And the ruling means that no away supporters will be able to attend Chelsea matches going forward.
Richard Garnett has the full story, here.
Legendary Liverpool striker Ian Rush has admitted he is concerned over the Reds' recent form.
Jurgen Klopp's side were beaten by Inter Milan on Tuesday evening and have been struggling for goals in the last four matches, having previously been scoring for fun.
With so many important matches on the horizon, this is something Rush hopes can change as he expressed his doubt over recent displays.
"Truth be told, Liverpool haven’t played well in their last three games, scraping past Norwich and West Ham and then losing to Inter," he told gambling.com.
"They’ve been getting away with it and whilst it’s true that the sign of a good team is winning after playing badly, the Inter game was a reminder that you can’t do it every time.
"They have some tough fixtures coming up with Brighton away a tricky one followed by a trip to Arsenal, who are playing some top stuff at the moment.
"What concerns me about Brighton away is that it’s an early kick-off. A lot of players aren’t fans of the early kick-offs as the whole routine is different, especially if you travel on the morning of the game which means a very early start.
"It’s something all clubs have to deal with, but I’m just mindful of that with the Brighton game this Saturday being a 12.30pm start. Nonetheless, it’s a game I expect Liverpool to win, but I don’t think it’ll be plain sailing."
Roman Abramovich being sanctioned by the UK government over links to Russia is set to have huge implications for Chelsea.
The Londoners' Russian owner was currently in the process of selling the club, though potential buyers may not be able to complete a deal as things stand due to the complexity of the situation.
According to the Times, Chelsea can still operate under a special licence but the sale of the club is now on hold.
They add that Chelsea will not be permitted to sell tickets to home and away supporters, with only season ticket holders allowed to attend matches.
In addition to this, merchandise sales, player transfers and new contracts are also no longer able to take place.
Aston Villa 'still like' Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, it has been claimed.
Steven Gerrard's side were linked with the 24-year-old during the January transfer window, though a deal for the former Charlton man did not materialise.
Gomez is under conract at Anfield until 2024, though may wish to assess his options this summer due to a lack of regular game time within the first-team.
He has made just one Premier League start all season, having fallen down the pecking order following Ibrahima Konate's arrival.
Liverpool and Manchester City are both said to be eyeing Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino.
The 19-year-old has scored six goals and registered four assists in La Liga this season, with El Desmarque claiming the teenager ‘continues to dazzle’ for the Spanish side.
The report adds that Liverpool and City have ‘made contact’ with Villarreal over the potential over a summer move.
At the moment, this remains ‘mere interest’, though there is still time for this transfer interest to develop in the coming months.
Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro believes Florian Wirtz will remain at the club until 'at least until 2024' despite reported transfer interest from a number of clubs.
The 18-year-old has earned comparisons to Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz, who played in a similar role while at Leverkusen before leaving the club for an eye-watering fee in 2020.
Many expect the same to happen with Wirtz, with Liverpool one of the sides said to be interested, though Carro is hopeful that this will not be on the agenda just yet.
“We try to keep him as long as possible,” he told Bild. “Not only until 2023, but at least until 2024. I assume that he will not leave before 2024.
“We try everything to keep the best young players. We have to play football in the Champions League and fight for trophies. Then the boys are more likely to stay with us. We need sporting success to keep the players with us.”
Hello and welcome to Thursday's Liverpool blog.
Join us throughout the day for all the latest news, transfer gossip and updates from in and around Anfield.
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