Liverpool have reached the international break after a miserable period which saw Jurgen Klopp’s side beaten by Bournemouth and Real Madrid – and there are more problems on the horizon.
Liverpool head into the international break with plenty to think about following successive 1-0 defeats.
The Reds weren’t in action over the weekend, due to Fulham ’s participation in the FA Cup postponing their Premier League fixture. That has allowed Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool hierarchy a week to mull over their recent results, and plan ahead for the coming months.
The 7-0 win over Manchester United has not turned into the springboard that fans would’ve hoped for, with a shock loss at Bournemouth followed by a tepid exit from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid.
Newcastle ’s win over Nottingham Forest, as well as Tottenham ’s draw with Southampton, has increased the gap to the top four in the Premier League. Here’s the latest news from the Liverpool camp.
Nunez injury worry
Darwin Nunez has handed Liverpool a new injury concern after pulling out of Uruguay’s upcoming matches against Japan and South Korea.
Nunez was due to feature for his country in the international break, but will now stay put on Merseyside and try to shake off an unspecified problem at the training ground.
Liverpool have been seriously hampered by injuries this season, with Roberto Firmino Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson among those affected.
Last week it was confirmed that Stefan Bajcetic would miss the remainder of the campaign through injury.
Man Utd want Liverpool target
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Manchester United are keen on signing Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen – a player Liverpool are also keeping an eye on.
Reports in Belgium state that Verbruggen will be available for a cut-price fee of around €10million (£8.85m) at the end of the season.
The 20-year-old has become Anderlecht’s first-choice keeper since the World Cup and kept a clean sheet as they beat Villarreal to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League last week.
Liverpool are, of course, well stocked for goalkeepers with Alisson Becker backed up by Caiomhim Kelleher, but Verbruggen is catching the eye.
Bellingham trumps all
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Jude Bellingham is Liverpool’s number one priority for the summer transfer window – and Jurgen Klopp is so keen to sign him that he has pushed other names down the list.
Bellingham is considered the answer to Liverpool’s fading midfield, which is set to be further reduced when James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita leave upon the expiry of their contracts at the end of June.
The Borussia Dortmund star will cost a lot of money, with Real Madrid and Manchester United among the other suitors for him, but Liverpool are not deterred.
German transfer expert Christian Faulk says Klopp has emphasised the importance of Bellingham, telling those in charge of transfers that other targets, like Randal Kolo Muani, can wait.
