Liverpool

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, LIVERPOOL FC

Former Liverpool captain and caretaker manager Phil Thompson has revealed that he has spoken to Andoni Iraola about his new role at the club, with the Spaniard meeting a number of club legends on their pre-season tour of the USA.

"I am excited," Thompson told BBC Sport in Chicago. "It is different. When a new manager comes in, you want the new manager bounce. We saw it with Arne Slot when he first came in, it surprised everybody when we won the league.

"I was with the new manager [Iraola] last night. Robbie Fowler and I had a beer and a chat with him, it was lovely.

"We spoke about his family and his children, and how quickly they had picked up English from not speaking it three years ago. He was just so pleasant, chatting away, talking about what he is looking to get out of pre-season and so on.

"Everyone wants to win games, but I've been there as a coach in pre-season. Your big thing is fitness and trying to get through it all without injuries.

"We spoke about how upset he was that Joe [Gomez] got injured in the first game, and his hopes and aspirations for the season ahead. You want to win games because, in the end, that's what it is all about."

Thompson is currently in Chicago, alongside Fowler, Ian Rush and Natasha Dowie, as the club's official ambassadors.

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Inter Milan are still interested in Curtis Jones and have indicated through intermediaries they would be willing to pay up to 35m euros (£29.9m) for the Liverpool midfielder.

The Italian side made a verbal offer of 25m euros (£21.7m) last month and that was rejected, with Liverpool valuing Jones at at least £35m.

Andoni Iraola's side are unwilling to sanction a cut-price exit for the 25-year-old, who only has one year left on his contract, but their resolve will be tested with Inter keen on bringing Jones to Milan.

Jones was involved in a heated argument with Dominik Szoboszlai after Liverpool's 1-0 win in a friendly over Wrexham in New York, which seemed to be related to the fact that Szoboszlai handed the captain's armband to Kostas Tsimikas instead of Jones.

But the pair were in good spirits during Liverpool's open training session in Chicago on Friday.

Jeremy Jacquet, who Liverpool signed from Rennes in a deal worth £60m, was absent from the session and was instead in the gym, as he recovers from a shoulder injury sustained in February.

Earlier on the tour, Iraola had suggested that 21-year-old Jacquet would be fit to play against Leeds United on Sunday, in their last match before flying home, but that now looks unlikely.

In more positive news for Liverpool, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch all trained, having joined up with the squad earlier in the week and the trio are set to feature on Sunday.

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Former Liverpool forward Robbie Fowler says Alexander Isak has "got everything in the locker" to have an emphatic 2026-27 campaign for the Reds.

"He's exciting, and in terms of when he drives with the ball, you know, something can happen.

"Not only can he beat players, bring players into the game, but he scores goals which is massive," Fowler told BBC Sport.

The Premier League's most expensive player of all time scored just four goals and did not feature across four months of the campaign last season.

Although Isak's match fitness and injuries impacted his debut season at Anfield, Fowler said the Sweden international will aim to return to club football "fit and firing".

"Hopefully, this is the season where he kicks on. Obviously, the injury didn't help him last year because he obviously got injured at probably the wrong time for him," he said.

"He's done OK in the World Cup. But I want him to be ready at the start of the season as opposed to waiting months and months."

Fowler added it is "imperative" for a club like Liverpool to have a player "who excites the fans".

Over the years, Anfield has seen its fair share of legendary number nines excite the suppporters, from Ian Rush, Fernando Torres and, of course, Fowler.

Maybe the 2026-27 campaign will be the season where Isak begins his journey of becoming one of the legendary number nines that Anfield has seen.

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones had a heated argument with team-mate Dominik Szoboszlai after his side's 1-0 win over Wrexham at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

After the full-time whistle, Jones, Szoboszlai and later Kostas Tsimikas argued with one another as the team were walking across the pitch to applaud supporters.

It is unclear what caused the exchange, although during the match Szoboszlai gave his captain's armband to Tsimikas rather than Jones when he was subbed off - and during the argument Tsimikas was filmed throwing the armband on to the floor.

Asked about the incident by BBC Sport, Szoboszlai did not go into the details but said: "Now that a couple of guys have left and maybe we are not the oldest in the team but we've been here a long time, we are all in the same boat and we want the best for the club and for each other.

"We have a captain in Virgil [van Dijk] and we will follow him everywhere with what he and the gaffer says, and I think I can talk from everybody's side that we want to be successful this season.

"It's a long-term [project] because obviously we have a new manager and the team has been changed. Maybe not in a couple of months but in the long term, I think it will work out."

Sources at Liverpool maintain arguments such as these - the context of which remains unknown - are common in an elite environment and that it only happened in public, rather than in the privacy of the dressing room, because the squad were doing a lap of honour.

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The LFC Poets' podcast's Ben Kent says 19-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni is "ready" to become a "proper squad player" going into the new Premier League campaign.

Nyoni played the first half as the Reds beat Wrexham 1-0 in New York in their latest pre-season friendly on Thursday.

New boss Andoni Iraola praised him post-match, saying: "Trey is very good on the ball - very calm, he reads the situations well. He is always confident on the ball so we encourage him.

"Even when he has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball and he's confident, he doesn't rush. For me, that is very valuable."

Nyoni made six appearances in the Premier League last season, all as a substitute.

"The outstanding one has been Nyoni," Kent told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"Last season I wanted him to get more minutes than he did, he only got token minutes here and there.

"I think he's ready. Maybe not to start games all the time, but he's ready to be a proper squad player now."

Listen to the full chat by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool are preparing an offer for Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, but with the French club reportedly valuing him at £145m, would he represent good value for money?

The Merseysiders would be reluctant to pay a British record fee for a player who scored only 13 goals last season. However, the 23-year-old possesses a combination of attributes that would appeal to any club looking for an elite goalscoring wide player.

Barcola's best season to date came in 2024-25, when he scored or assisted 39 goals, the ninth-highest total by any player in Europe's top five leagues. While that figure fell to 21 last season, many of his underlying metrics remained impressive

Used primarily on the left flank, Barcola utilised his dribbling ability and pace to create shooting opportunities for himself. He was the only player in Europe's top five leagues to average more than two shot-ending carries per 90 minutes, defined as shots taken after carrying the ball for at least five metres.

He also ranked highly for receiving the ball in dangerous areas, averaging nearly nine touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes. That placed him seventh among more than 1,500 eligible players, on a list headed by Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.

Barcola was also 18th for expected goals, excluding penalties, an encouraging sign given that many of the players above him were recognised centre-forwards. He also ranked ninth for possession won in the final third - an important consideration with aggressive pressing central to Liverpool's approach under new head coach Andoni Iraola.

PSG's dominance in France means those numbers require context and would not necessarily be repeatable in the Premier League. Overpaying for Barcola could also make it harder for the Reds to strengthen other areas of need, such as centre-back.

But if the two-time Champions League winners can be persuaded to lower their eye-watering asking price, Barcola could prove a good fit for Iraola's side.

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The possibility of Bradley Barcola becoming a Liverpool player is a genuine one, with the Reds set to make a bid for the PSG winger.

Liverpool are long-standing admirers of the France international and engaged in discussions last summer about his availability but eventually decided they didn't want to block the pathway of Rio Ngumoha.

With Mohamed Salah gone, the situation has changed. At half-time against Wrexham in New York, Ngumoha came on and played down the right - another indication that he will be used on both flanks this season. The 17-year-old was fortunate with the deflection for his goal but his directness makes life tough for defenders.

"All the coaching staff are just telling me to play my normal game really, whether that's going inside or outside. I've been working on it in training anyway, playing on the right and the left - just being unpredictable really," said Ngumoha.

He is a special talent while Victor Munoz, who Liverpool signed from Osasuna for £34m, is another one with plenty of potential. However, without Salah, Liverpool need high quality from the outset and Barcola could immediately provide that.

The 23-year-old is a proven winner at PSG, where he has made 152 appearances, scoring 39 goals and providing 37 assists. It would be quite the signing for Andoni Iraola if Liverpool can pull it off.

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New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola says he sees Florian Wirtz in the "position behind the striker" going forward.

Wirtz started on the left throughout Germany's World Cup campaign, where they were knocked out in the last 32, and predominantly during their qualification campaign.

The 23-year-old played in various positions across the attacking line during his first season at Liverpool, in which he scored seven goals and registered 10 assists in 49 appearances.

"We need a very good version of Florian," said Iraola. "We know what he can give us. I think he's also suited to our game model.

"I see him more probably in that position behind the striker. We know that he has played with Germany more on the left sometimes. But, I think we're going to start working with him in that position behind the striker."

Wirtz's first season in England was chaotic at times as Liverpool struggled to build on Arne Slot's title-winning debut campaign, finishing fifth and eventually parting company with the Dutchman.

However, Iraola believes the former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker - who joined the pre-season tour in the United States on Monday following his World Cup exploits - is ready to hit the ground running as he begins his second campaign in England.

"He's quite complete as a player," Iraola added.

"I think we are going to try to add more things to what he already has that is very good.

"I've seen him [in the] first days of training in a good place mentally and I hope he starts well and strong."

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to media in Chicago in his latest media conference during the Reds' pre-season tour of the USA.

A 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville last week was followed by a 1-0 victory over Wrexham in New York in the early hours of Thursday.

Liverpool face Leeds United in Chicago on Sunday (21:00 BST kick-off) before concluding their pre-season back on Merseyside.

Here are the key lines from the Reds head coach:

• Iraola clarified where he sees Floran Wirtz's best position: "We know what he can give us. I think he's also suited to our game model. I see him more probably in that position behind the striker. We know that he has played with Germany more on the left sometimes, but I think we're going to start working with him in that position behind the striker. He's quite complete as a player."

• He was asked about Rio Ngumoha playing on the right side against Wrexham and his thinking behind it: "I normally used to try to encourage our wingers to have the ability to play both sides. I know some of them are more comfortable on one side, but our team is not normally symmetrical. Also, in pre-season, I have to see where they are more comfortable, but in my previous clubs most of the wingers have played both sides."

• Asked whether any incoming wingers - with Liverpool preparing to make an offer for Paris St-Germain and France forward Bradley Barcola - would need to play on both wings, Iraola said: "Yes, it's a great skill to have because at the end you become less predictable. It becomes better for you to have more minutes - and also better for us because we can better use the squad."

• On how important will Alexander Isak will be this season: "He has come in a good place. I think he was good in the World Cup - I saw him comfortable. First training is here and I think I've seen a good version of Alex. His pre-season is not going to be very long, but he will have three or four weeks of quality training, I hope, and then we can put him in a good place because he's going to be massive for us this season."

• On whether the World Cup will delay supporters being able to see the team Iraola wants: "Probably, but not because I am going to meet the players late, or we are going to sign the players later. Even having my team ready for pre-season when there is a change of manager, these things take some time. I would like to say on the first day we are going to be perfect, that we're going to be in place, but probably it's not going to be like this. We will have to do the adaptation as quickly as possible."

• On the pre-season tour: "I was really happy when I found out we were coming again to Chicago. I was here last pre-season with Bournemouth. I understand now the repercussion of Liverpool is not the same as when I came last season, but still it's been really nice. I hope we can finish it in a proper way also against Leeds. I think we can finish these two weeks properly."

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Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It is still remarkable to think now that Liverpool were on the verge of administration when Fenway Sports Group took over in 2010.

It hasn't all been plain sailing. As recently as this year, CEO Billy Hogan wrote to fans over ticket price increases. The club cut the size of their planned rise in ticket prices for the next couple of seasons after supporter protests.

However, under FSG's stewardship, Anfield has been transformed, with two of the four stands developed in the past decade.

"Back when FSG acquired LFC, a number of similarities were drawn with Boston Red Sox and Liverpool, and one of them was this idea of an iconic venue that truly sits in the community," said Hogan.

"One of the things we're focused on now is making improvements in the footprint around Anfield the neighbourhood, whether that's infrastructure or transport and getting people in on non-matchdays. We're proud of how we've expanded while keeping the soul but also modernising it in the way that's befitting of the football club.

"Football doesn't give you much time to sit back and reflect. What I would say I am most proud of is that the club is in such a positive and good financial position. If you go back to that point in 2010, the club was literally on the brink of bankruptcy. Now it has the right foundations underneath it.

"There's improvements across the infrastructure, the ability to stay at Anfield for the long term and the stuff that doesn't always get headlines but is super important for the health of the club.

"Ultimately, it's about winning trophies. I wish we could win more but we've been fortunate to win a few.

"I think our supporters have had a great time and I often think about the fan parks at the Champions League finals - we lost a couple but just that joy and the memories and, frankly, the fun of it is what I look back on from time to time. And it's something that everyone associated with Liverpool should be proud of because it happens together and we all want this club to be the best in the world."

Read more from Reds CEO Billy Hogan

Manchester City are in advanced talks with Lille for 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has also attracted interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Aadam Patel
Football reporter, New York City

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Liverpool's Joe Gomez will miss the start of the Premier League season after Andoni Iraola confirmed the defender sustained a muscle injury in a 4-2 win over Sunderland on Sunday.

Speaking in Chicago, the morning (US time) after Liverpool beat Wrexham in New York, Iraola said: "It was quite clear since he complained straight away so he will be some weeks off.

"It's difficult to say - normally one month [out]. If it goes very good, then a little bit less. If it goes bad then a bit more, but it's a muscle injury. It's not massive.

"It will be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far off, but it shouldn't be a lot more."

Gomez is still with the squad in Chicago but, with Giovanni Leoni still sidelined and Virgil van Dijk not on the pre-season tour, Iraola has had to resort to using Liverpool's younger centre-backs. In more positive news, Jeremy Jacquet is set to make his debut when Liverpool take on Leeds United in Chicago on Sunday (21:00 BST).

"You've seen in these games that we are pretty thin in the centre-back position," added Iraola.

"The only centre-backs we have right now are Mor [Talla Ndiaye] and Ifeanyi [Ndukwe], who are both 18, just arrived at the club and are doing incredibly well. Luke Chambers played there - he's not a centre-back but he played really well.

"Jeremy is ready to go and we will recover Virgil, but I'm happy that, playing against Sunderland and Wrexham with 18-year-old centre backs, the team has shown composure and solidity at the back and it speaks very well about them."

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Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott is working hard to "impress" new boss Andoni Iraola in order to be given a "second chance" at his boyhood club.

The 23-year-old only played nine games - a total of 277 minutes - for Aston Villa last season while on loan in the Midlands.

A clause in the deal meant Villa would have been obliged to sign him for £35m had he made a 10th appearance.

He has since returned to Liverpool and featured in pre-season friendlies against Sunderland and Wrexham.

"Everyone knows how much I love the club," Elliott said after the match. "I've supported them from a very young age so the feeling never goes of putting the shirt back on and representing the club.

"It's a childhood dream. Every time I put the shirt on I want to give it 100 per cent.

"[Last season] I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to kind of go and explore something, come out of my comfort zone, [something] that I thought personally would take me on as a player.

"Unfortunately it didn't work out but the way I see it, that was last season. Now I'm here, it's kind of a second chance, if you want to call it that, especially with the gaffer and new coaching staff coming in, it's a chance to impress.

"I'm here now and I'm trying to cement my spot in the team or within the squad."

Elliott has continued to be linked with a possible move this summer, with Leeds, Sunderland and RB Leipzig among those reportedly interested.

"I'm wanting to be selfish, doing what's right for me," Elliott added. "Whether that's staying here and fighting for my place, or whether that's potentially going elsewhere I'm still unsure at the moment.

"But since the first day I walked through the door at the AXA [Training Centre] I've had a big beaming smile on my face. Putting the shirt on, I don't want to take these moments for granted because last season I thought it was the last opportunity to do it.

"Now I'm back here wearing the strip again. I just want to be free and play as much as I can and enjoy it because sometimes it feels like I don't do that enough."

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot is prioritising a return to club management in Europe's major leagues, despite links to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli on Thursday.

Al-Ahli's current manager, Matthias Jassle, is the leading contender to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle.

But BBC Sport understands Slot is focused on remaining in Europe and is targeting a return, as and when the right opportunity presents itself.

Slot won the Premier League title with Liverpool in 2024-25 but was replaced by Andoni Iraola after the end of last season.

He was in charge of Feyenoord between 2021 and 2024, winning the Eredivisie in 2023.

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As Liverpool prepare their opening bid for Paris St-Germain's Bradley Barcola, there is "confusion" among Reds fans that they could spend a big chunk of their transfer budget on another forward.

PSG value Barcola at about £145m, but Liverpool are hoping to secure the France international's services for closer to £100m.

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Anfield Index Pro's Jim Boardman said: "For one thing, Liverpool's money perhaps needs to be spent on a centre-back."

Although Jeremy Jacquet has arrived from Rennes in a £60m deal, Andoni Iraola's side lack experience within their defensive unit.

Because of Virgil van Dijk's World Cup schedule, the Dutch defender has not travelled to the US for pre-season, and Iraola has been forced to use youngsters Luke Chambers, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye. Joe Gomez provides senior cover but came off injured against Sunderland last week, while 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from a serious knee inujry.

Van Dijk has returned to the AXA Training Centre to begin pre-season training, but the 35-year-old captain will have to build a new centre-back partnership for the upcoming season.

While Boardman acknowledged the potential signing of Barcola was "exciting", he added: "I still feel worried that we're not going out there looking for someone who can be experienced cover at centre-back.

"We need to look at someone in that position. I am hoping we save some money to do that as well."

So far this summer, Liverpool have spent £94.5m on Jacquet and Spain winger Victor Munoz.

Listen to more below or on BBC Sounds here

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

After a record summer spend last season of £450m, Liverpool were disappointing on the pitch.

Ultimately, that led to the sacking of Arne Slot at the end of the campaign. Senior players like Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all left on free transfers too.

It has been a summer of change at Liverpool with Michael Edwards stepping down as FSG's CEO of football, primarily because plans of multi-club ownership were abandoned.

Meanwhile, Richard Hughes, Liverpool's sporting director, is linked with a move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. There is certainly a question of stability.

"Transition and change is inevitable in football. In our case, with a new coach coming in, there's real excitement around Andoni's [Iraola] mindset and philosophy that supporters will really enjoy," says CEO Billy Hogan.

"That will take time but in terms of transition, I would send a message that we are in a very healthy place as a football club - the leadership from ownership is in a very steady place and we're looking forward to the next season."

Hit play above to hear the full chat with Hogan or listen on BBC Sounds here

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Hogan insists that regardless of the personnel changes, the club model remains the same and they will continue to stick to their principles.

"It's important to keep in mind that last season, a considerable amount was invested but also generated in terms of sales of players going out," he says. "Over the course of FSG's stewardship, the investment has always been focused on doing what's best to put us in a place to win.

"Sometimes that means significant expense and other times it doesn't like in the summer of 2024 when there was only one addition (Federico Chiesa for £12.5m). It depends on where we are at the club and the improvements needed. Ultimately Mike Gordon, who is really our managing owner, will make those decisions."

There is an increased focus on the women's team too, who finished 11th in the WSL last season and haven't won the top-flight title since 2014.

"To be self-critical, that is probably an area that we maybe took our eye off the ball several years ago but we've changed that," says Hogan.

"We now have one of the best training centres at AXA Melwood, we are investing in the squad and we will approach the women's team the same way we approach the men's team - which is to run it sustainably. There's tremendous growth in the women's game and a huge opportunity going forward to really drive that."

Read more from Reds CEO Billy Hogan