Liverpool's need for midfield reinforcements in no secret, even after they overcame the odds to defeat Newcastle United at St James' Park and extend their unbeaten run to start the season to three Premier League games.

The Reds were, of course, on their way to a fairly successful transfer window, with the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia threw a spanner in the works.

Since then, they have welcomed Wataru Endo, but it could be argued that a more high-profile name is still needed.

With that said, though, the club have reportedly ruled out signing one particular midfielder.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

As the summer transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut, Liverpool are scrambling for the extra reinforcements needed to ensure that Jurgen Klopp has a side capable of returning to the Premier League's top four, after missing out last season.

The name at the forefront of their current list of targets seems to be Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, who the Bavarians could reportedly soften their stance on in the coming days.

As Gravenberch rises to the top of Liverpool's list, however, it is Sofyan Amrabat who has reportedly been ruled out altogether.

According to Manchester Evening News, who were reporting on Manchester United and Liverpool's interest in Amrabat, the Reds have clarified that they will not be making a move for the Fiorentina man this summer.

This news comes at a time when Amrabat has been frozen out at the Serie A club, with La Viola dropping the Morroco international from both first-team games, and training until his future is resolved, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Should Liverpool sign Sofyan Amrabat?

Liverpool's stance on Amrabat is a surprising one, given their need for midfielders, and Fiorentina's reported price-tag of just €30m (£25.6m) this summer.

Statistically speaking, too, the Moroccan would be an upgrade on the options that Klopp waved goodbye to this summer.

According to FBref, Amrabat outperformed Henderson in some key areas throughout the previous campaign.

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Blocks

Pass Completion Rate

Tackles Won

Sofyan Amrabat

1.62

23

88.8%

24

Jordan Henderson

1.61

21

83%

23

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old earned plenty of praise during the 2022 World Cup, as he helped Morroco to reach the semi-final stage, in the surprise of the tournament.

Alan Shearer praised the midfielder, saying on BBC's Match of The Day, via the Liverpool Echo: "He gets it and then he can feed the ball in, and you can see him go back there. He’ll be reluctant to get forward as he wants to protect, he’ll want to do that.

"He really enjoys that and he’s really good at that – ‘get off the ball, I’m having it’ – and he’s setting his team forward. He’s been key. He does that, he protects, he can get out there and help his full-backs, and that’s what he’s in that role to do – to stop, and be a spoiler – he’s excellent at it. Then he drives forward and they’re on their way. He’s been magnificent, he really has."

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Nonetheless, despite the praise and the stats, Liverpool reportedly remain unlikely to push ahead for Amrabat's signature this summer.

Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton has made a Leeds United deadline-day transfer claim on a possible new left-back arriving at Elland Road.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?

Manager Daniel Farke is currently preparing his side to take on Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship on Saturday afternoon but may have one eye on the window which is set to slam shut at 11pm this evening.

This week has been a productive one, with Djed Spence, Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara all making the move to Yorkshire this week from Tottenham, Werder Bremen and Rangers respectively. The trio has taken Leeds’ incomings up to eight in total, but there has been plenty of speculation over more business from new owners the 49ers Enterprises.

It has been claimed that Leeds have opened talks with AS Roma over a move for Ola Solbakken, who is valued at £4m, with the Norwegian seen as a contingency plan should the Whites lose either Wilfried Gnonto or Luis Sinisterra.

Another midfield arrival in Matt O’Riley has also been linked, with Leeds having a £10m offer turned down by Celtic. A new left-back has also been rumoured, with Leicester City’s Luke Thomas a player of previous interest. However, the full-back has since moved to the Premier League with Sheffield United, which leads to Thornton’s deadline day claim.

Talking to Give Me Sport in a story shared in the last few hours, Thornton made an exciting transfer claim, believing the Whites will “try” and sign a left-back before 11pm after Thomas opted for Sheffield United.

“I think they'll try and get a left-back in. But I'm not so certain that at this stage in the window, that is one area where they will be able to fill, after the Luke Thomas situation changed.

“So if something develops then maybe, but if not, as the midfield was the priority between now and the window closing.”

What left-back could Leeds sign?

Currently, Farke has youngster Leo Hjelde as his only available left-back option, with Sam Byram suffering an injury against Ipswich Town last weekend and Junior Firpo yet to feature due to his own injury issues.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

Jamie Shackleton once again showed his versatility by filling in during the second half of last weekend’s victory, so you can see why the club may want to add to their left-back ranks late in the window.

Phil Hay has hinted for large parts of the summer that former Leeds full-back Charlie Taylor could be an option, but recently said:

“Despite what they’ve tried, Burnley have not shown any inkling or intention of letting him go. This is the part of the window where things change rapidly. Players themselves think, ‘I’m not playing, I need to go’.”

It will be interesting to see if the Whites do make a move for a new left-back, as Thornton claims, and if they complete a deal, alongside keeping hold of their attacking stars, it could represent a solid first transfer window under the new owners.

TalkSPORT's Jason Cundy has explained why he feels bad Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk after a "strange" decision by manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Latest Chelsea news

It's safe to say there have been better days at Stamford Bridge. European champions just two years ago, the fortunes of Chelsea have dramatically transformed for the worse despite serial-spending and a major squad overhaul.

In the summer transfer window, they spent £397 million in total on the signings of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Djordje Petrovic, Angelo and Deivid Washington.

While the west Londoners have had to cope with mounting injury problems, you could argue that they should be fairing far, far better.

Looking to challenge for a Premier League top four place and potentially silverware, Chelsea have dropped points in four of their opening five games.

Losing to both West Ham and Nottingham Forest, their only win of the season has come against newly-promoted Luton Town. Pochettino's men were also booed off against Bournemouth in a 0-0 draw at the weekend, but Chelsea's new manager is adamant the wins will come.

"I think the fans know if you invest the type of money, there is expectation," said Pochettino. "What I can tell the fans is the circumstance, I cannot change the reality. With all of the squad fit we can compete, we don't have all of the squad available, what can we do?

"For me, nothing to say, the fans can do this. Twelve injured today, three of four youngs guys, two keepers on the bench, I am going to cry, I am going to complain, to who? I have to accept this. That is the circumstance and we need to accept.

"We have our opinion, our reality. I think we are doing good things, more than people can expect but I told you before the season, Chelsea is about the win."

Chelsea player ratings

Their latest game at Bournemouth has attracted criticism from sections of the media, like former Chelsea and Spurs star Cundy, who moved to question a "strange" call from Pochettino which hamstrung Mudryk.

He says playing Levi Colwill at left-back nullified any overlapping threat which the Ukrainian would have benefited from. Indeed, he wonders why Ben Chilwell wasn't deployed to provide that attacking edge.

“There’s a couple of strange things that are going on. He’s playing Levi Colwill left-back and he had [Ben] Chilwell on the bench. I don’t know whether Chilwell had a knock,” Cundy told talkSPORT.

“Chilwell naturally gives you that balance, he’s an attacking full-back. I felt we were lopsided at the weekend [against Bournemouth].

“Down our left, there was just nothing. I felt a bit for [Mykhailo] Mudryk because there’s no back-up, nobody is overlapping him.”

The former Shakhtar Donetsk star has struggled since joining Chelsea in the January transfer window, and it will be interesting to see if he does eventually justify his £88.5 million price tag.

Pochettino will need to help Mudryk in this regard, though, so tactical choices like this one may not help him in the long run.

Peshawar dominated Karachi in a must-win game and completed a massive 44-run victory to open up the race for semi-final spots

The Report by Arun Venugopal15-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellKamran Akmal’s 51-ball 75 and Darren Sammy’s blinding assault in the latter half helped Peshawar Zalmi overwhelm Karachi Kings by 44 runs. More importantly for Peshawar, the win helped them remain in contention for the next round. After electing to bat first and racking up 181, Peshawar’s bowlers stifled Karachi, who were already weighed down by scoreboard pressure.It reflected in how Karachi approached their chase – Joe Denly and Colin Ingram played out five and eight balls respectively before departing for ducks even as the Powerplay score read 35 for 2. Babar Azam was the standout batsman with his silken drives and flicks, and notched up his third consecutive fifty, but while he finished with a 50-ball 66, the target was too steep for him to gun down on his own. Karachi’s scoring rate remained a cause for concern for the most part, and they were striking at less than six runs an over even at the end of 10 overs.There were brief spurts of rousing play, particularly when Shahid Afridi struck four sixes off four successive deliveries he faced. But, he perished for 26 off 8 balls when he holed out to long off off left-arm spinner Liam Dawson, who finished with 3 for 17 in his four overs. Azam struck a few sixes towards the end but was eventually dismissed in the 17th over as the closing stages of the match became a mere formality.Karachi’s struggles with the bat mirrored those of Peshawar’s at the start of their innings. They lost Mohammad Hafeez to Mohammad Amir in the second over, and despite Akmal’s brace of sixes, they could only crawl to 31 for 1 in the Powerplay. At the halfway mark, Peshawar managed to reach only 58 for 2, but Akmal, who was dropped on 32, managed to swing the momentum soon after with some audacious hitting. Akmal was backed up by Saad Nasim, who smashed 35 off 18 balls, and Sammy’s unbeaten 15-ball 36, as Peshawar ransacked 123 runs in the last 10 overs.Kamran Akmal lays into a cut shot•AFP

Where the match was wonIt would be fair to say that Karachi had things under control until the end of Peshawar’s 13th over where the score read 82 for 3. But Akmal, having completed his third fifty of the tournament, teed off with two successive sixes of the next over, bowled by Afridi, while Nasim wasn’t to be left behind as he collected a six off his own off the last ball. That 21-run over was followed by 14 runs in the next over before Usman Khan, who remained insulated from Akmal’s clear-the-leg-and-whack carnage and produced a spell of 4-0-11-3, concede only two runs in the 16th. The next over, bowled by Mohammad Irfan, though, was going to be mammoth – Sammy tonked three sixes and Nasim one as they amassed 28 runs. Nasim then smacked Amir for a hat-trick of fours in the next over, as Peshawar managed 64 runs in the last five.The men who won itYou would struggle to look beyond three men – Akmal, Nasim and Sammy. While Akmal and Nasim added 37 runs for the fourth wicket, Sammy and Nasim put on a 42-run partnership for the fifth. That each of the batsmen passed around the hitting baton among themselves ensured that there was no let up in scoring momentum.Where they standPeshawar’s victory takes them to eight points from nine matches, and they remain with a chance of making the playoffs. Despite the loss, Karachi hold on to third position with nine points.

Shakib Al Hasan will join the Bangladesh squad on Thursday, ahead of the final league match against Sri Lanka, the winner of which will progress to the final of the Nidahas Trophy. The BCB announced Shakib had recovered sufficiently from his little finger injury, and is expected to arrive in Colombo on Thursday afternoon.Shakib’s return will bolster the Bangladesh line-up, particularly the bowling attack which has looked threadbare in all three games. He will also take over the captaincy from Mahmudullah, who was filling in as T20I captain during the tournament.Shakib had hurt his finger during the January 27 tri-series final against Sri Lanka, after which he missed the Tests and ODIs against them at home. He also missed the Pakistan Super League, as well as the first three games in the Nidahas Trophy.During this time, he saw specialists in Thailand and Australia, before taking up gym and training sessions in Dhaka earlier this week.

MatériaMais Notícias

A derrota no Choque-Rei foi a primeira do Palmeiras como mandante na temporada e, ao passar em branco no revés por 2 a 0, o Verdão encerrou uma sequência de 33 jogos seguidos balançando as redes no Allianz Parque.

A última vez que o Alviverde havia passado em branco no estádio tinha sido contra o mesmo adversário, no empate sem gols válido pela semifinal do Campeonato Paulista do ano passado. Na ocasião, o Palmeiras era comandado por Vanderlei Luxemburgo e foi eliminado, nos pênaltis.

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Esta era a maior série de gols seguidas do clube desde a volta para casa, em novembro de 2014. Foi o primeiro revés no gramado sintético e, consequentemente, Vanderlei Luxemburgo acabou superado no Allianz pela primeira vez como técnico palmeirense.

O Verdão volta a campo no estádio nesta quarta-feira (14) às 18h (horário de Brasília), contra o Coritiba, pela décima sexta rodada do Brasileirão.

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara has explained that Spurs have really missed out on signing a "fantastic" player for Ange Postecoglou.

Who have Tottenham signed in 2023?

Over the 2023 summer transfer window, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy moved to seal seven major signings in an effort to kickstart Postecoglou's era at the club.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, midfielder James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson all put pen to paper on moves to north London before deadline day – giving them some real depth.

However, the Lilywhites were eventually forced to sell star striker Harry Kane, who put pen to paper on a move to German champions Bayern Munich.

Joining Kane out the exit door, either on permanent deals or temporary ones, Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele sealed moves elsewhere.

Despite losing their superstar player, Spurs have started this new season with real aplomb and head into Sunday's north London derby on a serious hot streak.

Indeed, Postecoglou's men have won four out of their opening five Premier League matches and are yet to lose a game so far. Only high-flying Brighton and European champions Man City have scored more goals than them; highlighting Tottenham's exceptional form under their new manager.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Now, ahead of the January window, it is believed the likes of OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram are emerging as transfer targets – while Spurs could go back in for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly after late summer interest.

Despite their impressive start to 2023/2024, though, talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara has claimed that Tottenham really missed out on one player this summer.

Indeed, the ex-Spurs midfielder claims his former side really should've moved for West Ham star James Ward-Prowse – who has since gone on to dazzle as one of the signings of the summer.

The Englishman has two goals and three assists to his name in the league so far, and practically won West Ham their Europa League opener against Backa Topola in midweek.

Ward-Prowse's two fairly late assists for Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek played a heavy hand in ensuring they weren't shocked at home by the Serbian minnows.

Speaking to talkSPORT, O'Hara says he wished Tottenham put pen to paper on his transfer.

“I think he’s fantastic, I really do. I wish Tottenham had signed him." said the pundit.

O'Hara added that Ward-Prowse is "so much more" than a dead-ball specialist.

"He’s so much more than that as a player, he gets labelled as a set-piece specialist, but genuinely, he’s got so much more to his game than people think.”

How good is James Ward-Prowse?

The 28-year-old has also been lavished with praise by fellow pundit Micah Richards, who told The Rest is Football podcast this week that Ward-Prowse needs more credit.

“I’ve banged on about Ward-Prowse now for so long and nobody was taking me seriously," Richards said (via TBR).

"I was literally saying, he’s in a struggling team that don’t have a style of play and once he goes somewhere where he can express himself more, he’s got more than just taking free-kicks. He’s a comfortable footballer.

“When he’s played for England he’s not really took his chance so everyone sort of questions is he good enough for the highest level. But he is. He’s an amazing player. And he works hard, he can sit deep, also play further forward. I just love him. He’s been my signing of the season so far."

South Africa’s captain has expressed sympathy for Steven Smith, but was less charitable to David Warner, whom he hoped would ‘reflect and see if he can change the way he has played the game’

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg29-Mar-2018From a “real, deep, place” in his heart, Faf du Plessis has sent his former opposite number Steven Smith a sympathetic text message following the ball-tampering saga that saw Smith reduced to tears on his arrival in Sydney.”I feel for the guy,” du Plessis said, on the eve of the fourth Test in Johannesburg. “You don’t want to see guys going through that and it’s going to be incredibly hard for him over the next days. I just sent him a message of support saying that he’ll get through this, he must just be strong. He appreciated the message. There is a lot of respect between the two of us. He’s a good leader for Australia.”After all the bad blood that has tainted this series, it feels momentous that someone has been able to find and utter the word “respect”. Du Plessis went even further. He offered Smith “compassion”, admitted to being in the same position (literally, as du Plessis has been found guilty of ball tampering twice) and suggested it is already time for Smith start picking up the pieces and for the public to allow him to rebuild his reputation.”I do feel sorry for Steve and I do have a compassion for what he is going through. I think he is one of the good guys and he’s just been caught in a bad place. He’s obviously taken responsibility for that,” du Plessis said. “We’re not sitting in a glass house where we think we are better than them in that aspect. It’s a mistake that was made and I feel that, it’s easier said than done, but they can move on now. You don’t want to see any cricketer or person go through that amount of pain. I feel for what he’s going through as a captain.”Like Smith, du Plessis knows the responsibility that comes with leading a team and believes one of Smith’s regrets will be that the chance to create a legacy under his own name has been squandered. “I know as a leader he would have tried to have his identity put into the Australian team and perhaps now that that chance has been taken away from him, that’s not nice,” du Plessis said. “To be a captain of your country is a huge honour and you can see the disappointment. I feel really sorry for him.”Asked whether the one-year ban, which includes a ban from the IPL, 100 hours of voluntary service, and an order to play grade cricket, is too harsh, du Plessis replied in the affirmative, though he accepted that the seriousness with which Australians regard their cricket provides some context about the severity of the sanction. “I think, yes, I think so, but I understand the context of it now,” du Plessis said. “Perhaps I didn’t understand how important it is to them, but you can really see how much it means to the Australian public. You can understand why they think they need to be so harsh.”Du Plessis and team-mate Vernon Philander would not have dreamt of a similar punishment being lumped on them when they were found guilty of the same offence. In fact, the opposite happened. Cricket South Africa came out in support of its players with team manager Mohammed Moosajee saying it was “harsh” to call du Plessis rubbing the ball on his zipper in the UAE ball-tampering. The management also tried to suppress footage of Philander’s incident and CSA mounted a staunch defence of du Plessis during the Mintgate scandal in Australia in November 2016. Now, du Plessis suspects punishments will be harsher, especially after the ICC has also opted to review its code.”From where I’m sitting, I think it (Smith’s sanction) is harsh if you go back into the history where certain players have been in similar situations. The positive from that is that this is making even the ICC realise that they (Cricket Australia) are going harsher than them so maybe they need to sharpen up. If you do intend to do something illegal with the ball, you don’t just walk away from it with three demerit points and a 75% fine,” du Plessis said, referring to the penalty handed down to Cameron Bancroft.Though that may mean du Plessis would also not get away as much as he has, he welcomed the ICC’s review, reminding that it was something he has called for during Mintgate, when CSA wanted a clearer definition of what constitutes a foreign substance being applied to the ball. “I think it’s overdue. I remember in Australia two years ago with Mintgate and there was no clarity as players. We don’t know what is allowed and what is not allowed. Once you have those grey areas I think a lot of things will happen that perhaps shouldn’t happen. Perhaps something like this is the good that can come from that … you can be a lot clearer and players can have a good understanding,” du Plessis said. “Also the penalties and you get the same penalties for different things. It’s good that they are thinking that way.”Getty ImagesAnd if the ICC is reading, du Plessis does not think sledging should be banned from the game because he thinks it is minimally made use of, and equally minimally effective. “I don’t think that sledging has had that much influence on the way people play. I think it’s something in the past that people maybe thought had a huge impact,” he said. “Maybe there are one or two guys that still feel a bit more pressure when they feel there is a bit of verbal on the field. For me, it motivates me when I hear people say things on the field. Generally in cricket over the past two years I haven’t felt like that boundary has been pushed a lot with playing different teams.”Australia, of course, have been the exception. “As I said at the beginning of the series, we were expecting that from Australia and that’s the way they play. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong,” du Plessis said.After talk of team introspection and cultural change, du Plessis suspects that will change but he hopes the Australian team will retain some of its character nonetheless. “I don’t think every team in the world should play exactly the same way. It’s just been the Australian way,” he said. “But what we have spoken about this series is that line has been crossed too many times.”With sympathy for Smith and, to a less-talked-about degree, Bancroft and understanding for the Australian position, the only thing that remained was to ask du Plessis whether he felt any of the same goodwill for David Warner. As diplomatically as possible, du Plessis, like so many others, indicated that Warner would be more harshly judged, because of his past behaviour and the way he has acted in this series.Warner sparked the original series of sideshows during the first Test in Durban, when his two-hours of chatter at Quinton de Kock resulted in de Kock answering back and led to the stairwell saga from which the rest of the bad temper has flowed. Though the way Warner and particularly his wife Candice were treated by South African crowds was nothing short of shameful, Warner will find it difficult to find emphatic ears in most circles.”As a captain, the conversation between myself and Steve is on a different level. I don’t know Dave that well. This series has been fiery and he has been in the middle of it,” du Plessis said. “It’s interesting to see his thoughts. It might be a nice opportunity for him to see if he can reflect and see if he can change the way he has played the game.”

There is technically still time for Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool this week and some new quotes from one of his teammates could be telling.

How many goals does Salah have for Liverpool?

The 31-year-old is one of the greatest players in the history of Liverpool Football Club, having achieved so much since joining in 2017, becoming a genuine footballing superstar.

On Sunday afternoon, Salah again played his part in a Reds victory, as he scored his side's third goal in their 3-0 win at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League. That strike took his total for the club to 188 goals in 309 appearances, with four goal contributions (two goal and assists apiece) in as many matches already coming his way in the league this season.

The Egyptian's influence cannot be rivalled at Anfield currently, in terms of the relentless end product he produces, and the hope is that he remains there beyond his current contract expiry date of 2025. Worryingly, he is the subject of huge interest from Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, however, with a £100m+ bid already turned down by Liverpool.

There is a fear that an even bigger offer will be tabled this week, with the Saudi transfer window not yet closing, but a new update suggests that it won't matter if another bid comes in.

What has Salah's teammate said?

Speaking after the win against Villa [via This Is Anfield], Dominik Szoboszlai handed Liverpool fans a significant boost by claiming that Salah definitely wants to stay out at the club:

"It is football, everyone is talking. We are really happy that he has stayed. We are of course speaking between each other but he wants to stay, he wants to be here and be with us. We are really happy. We need people in the team like him."

This is fantastic to hear, assuming Szoboszlai is telling the truth – frankly there is no reason why he wouldn't be, having already grown close with Salah since arriving from RB Leipzig this summer.

It seems very clear that Liverpool aren't even going to entertain the idea of allowing the Reds legend to leave the club at this point, especially as they now have no time to sign a replacement. It would weaken their attack so much, despite the other elite players at Jurgen Klopp's disposal, and there are few players in the world who can score an assist at Salah's rate.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

If Klopp's men are to have any chance of challenging for the Premier League title this season, the need to have their Egyptian King at the club, fit and firing throughout the campaign and dragging his side through matches. The idea of him leaving this week is a horrendous one, and the hope is that he spends at least one more season on Merseyside.

It is certainly easy to envisage Salah moving to Saudi Arabia next summer, when there will again no doubt be a lot of interest in him, but he still has so much to offer at the very highest level that he really shouldn't consider moving there for several years to come.

Liverpool have started the 2023/24 campaign as strongly as supporters could have hoped for, winning four successive matches in the Premier League after starting the term with a draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

It's a major sigh of relief for all affiliated with the Anfield side, after Jurgen Klopp suffered a terrible year as his side failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, utterly unrecognisable to the intense, high-octane system that has been a hallmark of his prosperous English outfit.

The Reds have completely reshaped their midfield after such sapped energy on show last season, and the early signs are certainly promising, but now Klopp will hope to nurture the outfit's cohesion and unity over the coming weeks and months, eyeing silver-laden success once again.

Liverpool Summer Signings

Transfer Fee (via Sky Sports)

Alexis Mac Allister

£35m

Dominik Szoboszlai

£60m

Wataru Endo

£16m

Ryan Gravenberch

£34m

To kick off the summer spending, the Merseyside outfit completed the transfer of Brighton & Hove Albion's Alexis Mac Allister, and while he has enjoyed a solid, energetic start to life at Liverpool, it may do him some good to be placed on the bench this week.

How are Liverpool playing?

Liverpool are playing very well, all things considered. The draw against Chelsea to open the seasonal account highlighted the promise of this new-look outfit but underscored the defensive frailties that eradicated the club's optimism last term.

Klopp worked hard to purge the team of the woes of last year, and it would be ludicrous to think that the Reds would hit their zenith so soon after such drastic alteration, but the preliminary signs are promising, and the fact that Liverpool currently on a four-match winning streak is exciting when looking ahead.

All-conquering midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has been immense since joining from RB Leipzig, hailed as "like a young Gerrard" by former England striker Tash Dowie.

Mohamed Salah is ever-imperious and has already posted two goals and four assists from just five matches; while last season's under-fire backline has only conceded four goals in the top-flight so far – bettered only by defending champions and pace-setters Manchester City.

How is Alexis Mac Allister playing?

Mac Allister, who rose to prominence as a centrepiece of a thriving Brighton team last season and won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, played a starring role and was heralded for one “sumptuous” assist in Qatar by Gary Lineker.

However, having been started against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, the ace endured a torrid time and was substituted early by Klopp, who claimed simply that "he was done".

Now this is no detriment to his ability; Mac Allister had just finished a match with his nation against Bolivia less than four days earlier and was playing at an incredibly high altitude.

Partner that with an arduous journey back to Liverpool halfway across the globe, and it's no wonder he was out of sorts at Molineux.

The 24-year-old has started all five of Liverpool's Premier League outings this season (despite receiving a red card against Bournemouth, which was overturned after a review), and completed 86% of his passes from central midfield, making 2.6 tackles and 5.4 ball recoveries per game, succeeding with 63% of his dribbles and winning 58% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

Partner that with two outings for Argentina during the international break, and it might be wise to drop the £150k-per-week phenom for the time being, especially with the opening match of Liverpool's Europa League campaign now forthcoming.

While Mac Allister is a talented midfielder, there might just be an apt replacement waiting in the wings in the form of Harvey Elliott, who has impressed this term despite having yet to receive a starting berth.

Why should Harvey Elliott start for Liverpool?

Elliott, who joined Liverpool from Fulham as a 16-year-old, played an important role last year and made 46 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals and receiving praise for his "superb" displays by Liverpool writer Matt Addison.

This year, he has been lauded by pundit Jamie Carragher for his “excellent” impact off the bench against Wolves, and having made cameos across each outing so far, his displays now warrant a maiden seasonal start.

As per Sofascore, the £40k-per-week gem has completed 86% of his passes and won 60% of his duels, and while it's early days, the latter metric alludes to an improvement in physicality and application from last term, where he won just 45% and was criticised for being "outmuscled" by writer Leanne Prescott.

Additionally, the 20-year-old ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 6% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

Mac Allister, comparatively, ranks among the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90 – while Elliott is by no means the refined, all-embracing ace Mac Allister is yet, he definitely boasts qualities to fill in for his South American counterpart.

With a trip to Austria to face LASK awaiting on Thursday night, it seems pretty likely that Elliott will be among the starters, but should he impress at the Raiffeisen Arena, Klopp could start to utilise his talents from the opening whistle in the Premier League with greater regularity.

There is no doubt that Liverpool have secured the signature of a first-class midfielder in Mac Allister, but he has been steady if unspectacular thus far for Klopp's side, and while he is easily one of the club's best midfielders, it might be time to shake things up.

Without question, he will and should start the lion's share of Liverpool's matches this season, but Elliott has impressed off the bench on numerous occasions now and will be anxious to demonstrate his skills more often after breaking through last term.

The one-time Fulham youngster offers something a bit different, and Klopp would now be wise to allow him to take to the stage.