Liverpool fear nobody in UCL - Firmino

Roberto Firmino says Liverpool fear nobody in the Champions League and would welcome a clash against a fellow Premier League club in the quarterfinals.

Jurgen Klopp's side were the first English team to book their spot in the last eight with a goalless draw at home to Porto on Tuesday, giving them a 5-0 aggregate win.

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are also through but Tottenham are out after defeat to Italian champions Juventus on Wednesday.

Manchester United, who host Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday, and Chelsea both play their second-leg matches next week.

The Champions League quarter-final draw on March 16 is open, meaning no teams are seeded and clubs from the same national association can be drawn against each other.

"Yes, we'd like a draw against an English club. Why not?" said Brazil international Firmino, who has 22 goals this season and is part of a devastating front three at Anfield alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

"We have shown in the past few seasons we can beat all the English clubs. Our record is good against them.

"We feel we have played well against the top English clubs and shown we can beat them but we are not afraid of anyone in the draw."

Firmino, 26, is set to feature for Brazil at the World Cup in Russia but said first he is focusing on winning his first trophy with Liverpool.

"I want to be part of it and am I happy to be part of the squad but that is a long away ahead," he said.

"The season is not over, I have my objectives with Liverpool and I want to concentrate on them. If I can do well, then that will be important for my position in the (national team) squad."

Read More »

Klopp welcomes player selection woes

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is relishing the chance to select his best players for every match as the club boast a fully-fit squad ahead of crucial fixtures in the Premier League and Champions League.

Defender Nathaniel Clyne's return to training, along with that of Adam Lallana, Dominic Solanke, Danny Ings and Ragnar Klavan, means all 25 players who travelled to Liverpool's training camp in Spain have no injury concerns.

"We made our rotation in the winter, in November and December, to be now 100 per cent fit," Klopp told the club's website. (www.liverpoolfc.com)

"Now we are 100 per cent fit, the best players will play all the time.

"We need all of these players and hopefully we have them all available and then we will make a decision, but it's not that I think now we will rotate before or after. We go for everything."

Liverpool are on course to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Champions League after a 5-0 win over FC Porto in the first leg of their last-16 tie and defender Dejan Lovren believes the club can win the tournament.

"Of course (we can win it)," Lovren is quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo. "Yes, if we are right and we do our job like we did and everyone defends well - each centimetre of the pitch is covered – then we have a great chance.

"Don't forget about Liverpool. We have so much quality so we can beat everyone if we are on our top level – as simple as that."

The Merseyside club have proved their doubters wrong by flourishing in the Champions League and Lovren is enjoying the club's underdog status as he urged his teammates to get the job done in the second leg against Porto.

"It is good when they don't talk about us," Lovren added. "Maybe they would consider them to be the favourites – even better. We are the underdogs I would say.

"It is something from deep inside that will explode but we need to be calm and finish the second game at home and let's see what happens later."

Liverpool are third in the league, still in a tightly-contested race to finish in the top four with 11 games remaining. Klopp's side next host West Ham United on February 24.

Read More »

Van Dijk accepts spotlight on Saints return

Virgil Van Dijk insists criticism of his start to life as the world's most expensive defender will not affect his preparations for a frosty reception on his return to Southampton with Liverpool on Sunday.

The Dutch international moved to Anfield for £75 million (85m euros, $104m) in January, but has been on the winning side in just one of his four outings for Liverpool since.

Van Dijk got off to a dream start as he scored the winner to edge a Merseyside derby against Everton on debut.

However, hopes he would provide an instant fix to the holes in Jurgen Klopp's defence were shattered in back-to-back shock defeats to Swansea and West Brom.

"I know because I made such a big step right now, for a lot of money, everything is going to be analysed," said Van Dijk.

"No one is going to look at the good things that you do. Everybody is going to watch the bad things and that is how it is. But I will discuss it with the people who want to make me better, who can make me better, that is the manager and the players around me."

Yet, there were signs of why Liverpool waited to get their man in January after an initial move for Van Dijk stalled last summer in last weekend's 2-2 draw with top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Van Dijk largely kept the Premier League's top scorer Harry Kane quiet until a frantic finale in which Spurs were awarded two controversial penalties - the second of which for a foul by Van Dijk on Erik Lamela in virtually the last action of the game.

"No one will talk about my performance in general. We defended very well, had two penalties against us with a lot of question marks around them, but no one is going to talk about that," added Van Dijk.

"But I know that as a team we did very well against one of the best strikers in Europe."

NO SYMPATHY

Both teams are in need of the points at different ends of the table. Third-placed Liverpool can gain more ground in the race for a Champions League place, while Southampton are still precariously positioned just two points above the relegation zone despite a first league win since November last week at West Brom.

However, Van Dijk insists he will have no sympathy for his former employers on Sunday.

"I made the decision, I have enjoyed every bit of it and I am very grateful for everything that they did for me. I have moved on, they have moved on.

"I know they are struggling and we need to win. I am going there with only one mindset and that is to win.

"Obviously it will be nice to see the players I have played with and the friends I have there but, for me, it is going to be about one thing only and that is to win the game."

Liverpool return to the European stage on Wednesday when they travel to Porto for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, but Klopp, who has rotated his side more than any other manager in the Premier League this season, struck down suggestions his team selection would be affected by preparations for the trip to Portugal.

"I have a few experiences with European football and I never thought about the European game the week after," said the German.

"The main focus is always the next game, in this case Southampton. You cannot and we will not think about the Champions League game."

Read More »

Harry Kane hits back at Virgil van Dijk for saying he dived to win penalty

Safe to say Virgil van Dijk pulled no punches when he gave his take on Harry Kane and Eric Lamela's theatrics following Sunday's 2-2 draw between Liverpool andTottenham.

Kane and Lamela both went to ground easily in the 87th and 94th minute respectively to win penalties, though Kane only managed to score the second.

It was Van Dijk's challenge that Lamela went down under, yet the Dutchman was angrier with Kane's actions minutes earlier.

On the second penalty, he said: "I think first of all it was offside and secondly he just put his body in front of me.

"I see him coming in the end and I try and hold my leg in, he just pulled his body in front of the ball and he goes down.

"The ref said play on and I was very disappointed that the linesman said otherwise. It is a decision the ref already made and the ref is closer than the linesman (who overruled). Unlucky I think.

And on Kane: "I don't think that is a penalty and the same with the first one. That is also clearly not a penalty. I think it is a dive.

"You see him (Kane) diving clearly and no one is talking about that. But I think it is a dive. 

"There is a lot of discussion about whether it is offside, yes or no, but I think it was offside as well. I thought it was a given you could just see him making that dive."

Van Dijk's frustration was clear for all to see and every Liverpool fan agreed with him that Kane dived when Loris Karius dove at his feet. Check it out below.

Replays showed there was very minimal contact, but Kane has already responded to Van Dijk's accusations by saying he had every right to go to ground.

"Yeah. He (Karius) has dived," said Kanevwhen asked if there was contact. "He has got in the way and I'm a player, I'm not going to jump out of the way because it's football.

"I've definitely felt contact and I've gone down. Lamela's one I thought the linesman showed amazing character to give that.

"A lot happened for the first one about the linesman so to give that penalty was massive and it was a penalty."

Very brave from Kane. While he's right in saying he shouldn't have to jump out of the way, the fact remains Karius barely touched him. It's certainly a tough one.

Read More »

No diet needed for Van Dijk - Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp laughed off suggestions from former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher that club-record signing Virgil van Dijk needs to slim down to recover his top form.

Carragher told Sky Sports' 'The Debate' programme that the world's most expensive defender "needs to lose a bit of weight".

"I am sure Jamie needs to lose a little bit of weight but for Virgil it is not the case," Klopp told a press conference on Friday.

"He is a big and tall player, that is how it is. We have the best nutrition department and no-one came to me and said we need to work with him."

Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool for £75 million last month, looks set to return to Klopp's starting line-up for a crucial clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the battle to secure a top-four finish on Sunday after being rested for Tuesday's routine 3-0 win at Huddersfield.

Liverpool, in third, currently hold a two-point lead over fifth-placed Spurs and are looking to avenge their 4-1 defeat at Wembley back in October.

Van Dijk is likely to replace Dejan Lovren, who was substituted after 31 minutes at Wembley having endured a torrid time against Harry Kane.

And Klopp defended the Dutch defender's start to life at Liverpool despite shock defeats to Swansea and West Brom in his two outings since scoring a Merseyside derby winner against Everton on debut.

"It is just exactly as I expected it would be: a few ups and downs," added Klopp.

"We will see Virgil van Dijk at his best after the summer but we don't have the time to wait until then and why should we? He can bring in a lot of things already.

"It is quite difficult because our defending style - and I know how this sounds - is different to Southampton or to Holland so that's why it makes so much sense you get used to it."

Read More »

Daniel Sturridge joins West Brom on loan

Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge has joined West Bromwich Albion on loan until the end of the season, the Premier League club announced on Monday.

Sturridge was once a major star alongside Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling at Liverpool but has fallen out of favour under Jurgen Klopp and has only started five league games for the Reds this season, scoring twice.

The 28-year-old, who was born in nearby Birmingham, has scored 74 Premier League goals over the course of his career, which has also seen him turn out for Manchester City and Chelsea.

Read More »

Liverpool look to tighten up their defence

Joel Matip accepts Liverpool must quickly resolve the defensive problems that sparked their FA Cup exit ahead of a Premier League visit to Huddersfield Town on Tuesday.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp acknowledged his side were guilty of making mistakes for each of West Browmich Albion's goals in the visitors' 3-2 cup win at Anfield that ended Liverpool's lengthy unbeaten home run.

Defeat came on the back of Liverpool's shock 1-0 reverse at Premier League basement club Swansea City.

Now, two weeks after the Merseysiders enjoyed the high of becoming the first team to beat Manchester City in domestic competition this season, Klopp's side are in need of another lift.

Cameroon centre-back Matip accepted responsibility for one of West Brom's goals and the defender acknowledged Liverpool cannot afford a repeat when they face Huddersfield if they are to keep a firm hold on a top-four spot and a guaranteed place in next season's Champions League.

'KILL EVERY TEAM'

"We started in front, our offensive play was okay, but in the defence we had problems," Matip told Liverpoolfc.com after the West Brom defeat.

"Mistakes like my one kill every team. This mistake cannot happen, I have to clear this ball.

"In the first half, (conceding) three goals, it hurts every team. It was really hard to come back then.

"We have to do everything to turn things around, to get in better shape and get better results."

Klopp agreed the turnaround must start this week when he is reunited with his longstanding friend David Wagner, the Huddersfield manager.

"First we have to really think about what happened (against West Brom) and make ourselves ready for Huddersfield," said Klopp.

"A long run starts with the first game and that’s on Tuesday," the German added.

Adam Lallana missed the West Brom game with a small muscle tear and could be back in contention for the trip to Yorkshire, although having been sidelined for much of the season, the England midfielder will not be risked if there is any threat of causing more damage.

Daniel Sturridge was omitted from the matchday squad on Saturday, prompting further questions about the striker's future at Anfield.

Huddersfield have not been in the relegation zone all season, but sit just two points above the bottom three after a six-match run without a Premier League win.

Survival would be a remarkable achievement for a club operating on a minimal budget by top-flight standards, but the fact that they have gathered only nine points from their past 13 matches suggests it may be a struggle.

A 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Stoke in their most recent league game, on January 20, was a significant setback, and the FA Cup has provided little consolation since then, with a team showing eight changes held 1-1 at home by Championship strugglers Birmingham on Saturday.

Midfielder Danny Williams suffered a back injury in the cup game and is a doubt, although Aaron Mooy would have been expected to return to replace him anyway.

Huddersfield visit Manchester United four days after facing Liverpool, and Wagner has warned his players must cut out individual errors or risk further defeats.

"We are making too many mistakes in attack and too many mistakes in the defence and this means it’s difficult to win," said Wagner.

Read More »

Alexis Sanchez set for EPL debut, Klopp under pressure

Alexis Sanchez is poised to make his Premier League debut for Manchester United against Spurs on Wednesday as Liverpool seek to halt a mini-slump after their spectacular win against Manchester City.

Elsewhere in a full set of midweek fixtures Chelsea host Bournemouth, runaway leaders Manchester City take on West Brom and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is set to make his debut for Arsenal against Swansea.

Here are some of the major talking points ahead of this week's matches.

The Sanchez factor

A few weeks ago Jose Mourinho looked glum, forced to fend off rumours that he is unhappy in Manchester and that he was disappointed with the relative lack of spending power at his disposal. It's probably too late for Manchester United to catch Pep Guardiola's Manchester City but Mourinho is looking upbeat after signing a contract extension and boosting his firepower with the signing of Alexis Sanchez. The Chile international sparkled during the routine 4-0 FA Cup victory against lowly Yeovil Town on Friday but it was his hard work as much as his creative play that caught the eye of his new teammates. "Obviously we know his quality on the ball, he's amazing, but his fight, the way he defends, he's the first player to defend – I really like it," said midfielder Ander Herrera

Guardiola wants player protection

Pep Guardiola has called for better protection for players after forward Leroy Sane injured his ankle in Manchester City's FA Cup tie against Championship side Cardiff. But City are unlikely to get an easy ride against Alan Pardew's West Brom, who have amassed the second-highest number of yellow cards this season in the Premier League (47). West Brom have three wins and a draw in their past four fixtures in all competitions, including Saturday's 3-2 FA Cup win at Anfield. But despite their uptick in form, Pardew desperately needs the points to pull his side out of the relegation zone.

Liverpool must regain focus

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were brought quickly down to earth after their stunning victory against Premier League leaders Manchester City, losing their next game against bottom club Swansea. That defeat brought an end to their 18-game unbeaten run and was followed by an FA Cup reverse to West Brom at Anfield. The Cup loss removes their best chance of silverware this season and will further focus minds on the need to finish in the top four. Liverpool are currently in fourth spot, two points clear of Tottenham and five ahead of Arsenal. Klopp admits his side does not have the luxury of time. "A long run starts with the first game and that’s on Tuesday," he said.

Where will Mkhitaryan play for Arsenal?

Henrikh Mkhitaryan played second fiddle to Alexis Sanchez in the swap deal between Manchester United and Arsenal but he has a point to prove. The Armenia international found it difficult to nail down a starting berth at Old Trafford and may struggle to occupy his preferred creative number 10 role because of competition from the likes of Mezut Ozil. "He can play in different positions," said Arsene Wenger. "But personally I see him first in a wide position, but I'm thinking about him a possibility to play through the middle."

Fixtures (1945 GMT unless stated):

Tuesday

Swansea v Arsenal, West Ham v Crystal Palace, Huddersfield v Liverpool (2000 GMT)

Wednesday

Chelsea v Bournemouth, Everton v Leicester, Newcastle v Burnley, Southampton v Brighton, Manchester City v West Brom (2000 GMT), Stoke v Watford (2000 GMT), Tottenham v Manchester United (2000 GMT)

Read More »

Liverpool has been dragged into a fight - Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp blamed his players for becoming embroiled in a fight at Swansea City as they lost their unbeaten 18-match run to the Premier League's bottom club.

Liverpool failed to grab a late draw to extend their lead over fifth-placed Tottenham as they lost to a single goal from Alfie Mawson -- and Klopp himself clashed verbally with a home supporter.

It was Liverpool's first defeat since October, but the points were priceless for Swansea, who cut the gap between themselves and those above the relegation places to just three points.

He said: "I am more frustrated about the performance than the result.

"We were just not good enough, especially in the first half. We didn’t play how we wanted to play.

"We didn't keep the right positions we needed to, to cause them problems and didn’t stretch them.

"We gave them the opportunity to score and then we did exactly what Swansea wanted.

"They didn’t need to play, they needed to fight and we did exactly what they wanted and their confidence grew."

Liverpool missed plenty of opportunities for their normally clinical strikers Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino.

They also came up against a goalkeeper at the top of his game in Swansea's Polish number one Lukasz Fabianski.

The only goal came against the run of play in the 41st minute when Mawson swept the ball in at corner and Virgil van Dijk had misplaced a header as he tried to clear.

It summed up an awkward league debut for Van Dijk, who had previously only played in one FA Cup tie since his record £75 million move from Southampton.

'HE PROBABLY HAS SEASON TICKET'

The frustrations provoked Klopp into his argument with a Swansea supporter around the hour mark and he admitted: "He was shouting at me all the time but I reacted. I am a human being, not just a professional manager.

"I am sure I am not the first manager who has a problem. He probably has a season ticket."

Klopp added: "Swansea knew that to win today they needed our help and unfortunately we gave it to them.

“They did the right things to deserve to win a game like this tonight and we didn’t deserve it.

"We could have equalised at the end, but didn’t have that luck."

For new Swans manager Carlos Carvalhal, this was a tactical triumph as he used a five-man defence to deny Liverpool space and then hit them on the break.

The Portuguese likes to use seafood metaphors to describe players as either lobsters or sardines, but this time he was borrowing motor racing analogies as he left Liverpool on the hard shoulder.

Carvalhal said: “I talked with my players and said this (Liverpool) is a really strong team.

“They are like a Formula One car. But at 4:00pm in London it will be difficult to speed, they would be a car like any other.

“We needed to make sure there was traffic, we could not let them have open roads to drive in."

Read More »

Klopp did not focused onLiverpool unbeaten run

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted he has not given a second thought to his team's 18-match unbeaten run ahead of their trip to Swansea City on Monday.

Klopp's side have been in imperious form recently, and ended Premier League leaders Manchester City's hopes of going through the season without losing following a thrilling 4-3 win at Anfield last time out.

The Reds also eased to a 5-0 thrashing of Swansea on Boxing Day, however Klopp has told his players to forget about the statistics and focus on the task in hand ahead of the league match in south Wales.

"If nobody told me how often we didn't lose, I'd have no idea about it," he said.

"That's all the past and I'm not really interested. You can look back on a season after the season, not during. It's not important."

The German added: "We feel in a good moment. I see the boys training every day and it looks good, that's the truth, that's why we can play like we played so far.

'NO EASY GAMES'

"But we have to do it again. As a Liverpool player you cannot perform one week and then two weeks not –- we need to deliver consistently, every day and each game.

"It's only the next game and I can't imagine any easy games in the Premier League. And Swansea is for sure not an easy game.

"They are bottom of the table but they are in a good way. What you have seen since the new manager has come in is a big improvement."

Klopp revealed that Loris Karius will continue in goal ahead of Simon Mignolet and the German will get the opportunity to establish himself in the position.

"Of course Loris has to deliver, he knows that, but now he is the No.1," Klopp explained.

"We changed a lot of positions through the year and only with the goalkeeper it looks like we have to stick to our opinion for 20 years if we've made a decision one time! So I changed not my opinion, but I changed the situation now, that's all."

DAVID V GOLIATH

Liverpool expect to have winger Mohamed Salah and centre-backs Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren available after the trio suffered a bout of illness.

Record signing Virgil van Dijk has resumed training, having missed the win over Manchester City with a hamstring problem.

Swansea manager Carlos Carvalhal claims the match at the Liberty Stadium will be a meeting of "David versus Goliath".

Carvalhal's side are bottom of the Premier League but there has been in a slight upturn in form with just one defeat in five games since the Portuguese took charge.

"It's not just the three attackers Liverpool have," Carvalhal said. "They have a good midfield, good defence, a good goalkeeper and good substitutes.

"If we just care about our opponents we will not play, so we must block them and the main attributes that they have and we will try to make it difficult for them.

"But like other big teams they also have some weak points, very few, but we must try to fight against the strong points they have.

"It's David v Goliath, but surprises do happen and we will be ready to prepare a surprise."

Swansea striker Tammy Abraham remains a doubt with an abdominal injury but midfielder Renato Sanches is set to be in contention following a hamstring problem.

Read More »

Flanagan sentenced for assaulting his girlfriend (Full Details)

Liverpool defender John Flanagan was sentenced to rehabilitation and 40 hours of unpaid work on Wednesday, having pleaded guilty to attacking his girlfriend.

The 25-year-old full-back admitted an offence of common assault by beating at a hearing on January 2.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he kicked his partner Rachael Wall in a central street in the northwest English city in the early hours of December 22.

District judge Wendy Lloyd sentenced Flanagan to a 12-month community order, which includes 15 rehabilitation activity days, 40 hours of unpaid work, £85 court costs ($117, 96 euros) and an £85 victim surcharge.

"You are, of course, a young man of previous good character and therefore it's undoubtedly sad that you have brought yourself here by your behaviour," she said.

"It was a matter of this lady going to the floor twice and you used your foot on her on one occasion."

The court saw security camera footage which showed Flanagan hitting his girlfriend before pushing her against a wall twice and then kicking her.

His lawyer Lionel Grieg told the court: "He deeply regrets his behaviour and there is genuine remorse.

"They are back together and working very hard at the relationship."

Liverpool-born Flanagan has made more than 50 first-team appearances for the Reds since making his debut aged 18.

He has captained Liverpool and made an appearance for England as a substitute in 2014.

Flanagan spent last season on loan at Burnley after 20 months out due to knee surgery.

He has featured only once for Liverpool this season.

Read More »

Liverpool couldn't stop Coutinho exit - Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted on Friday he had no option but to allow Philippe Coutinho to join Barcelona, refusing to rule out an exit for striker Daniel Sturridge during the January transfer window.

Brazil international Coutinho joined the Spanish giants earlier this week for €160 million after failing to force through the move during the summer transfer window.

"There was no other option," said Klopp. "I knew there was a moment when it would come up again in this transfer window and it came up massively.

"It would have been very difficult if we say – and we could have done of course with his contract – 'you have to stay here'.

"(I asked myself) 'To use him as a player in the second part of the season, did it make sense? Do I think I can use him and can he help us?'

"It became 100 percent clear, no chance. He was not ready to do that any more."

Klopp said Liverpool tried everything to convince Coutinho to stay but had to accept his heart was set on his dream move to Barca.

Asked about reports that Sturridge could leave the club, the Liverpool boss was non-committal.

"That is part of the transfer window so I have nothing to say about it," he said. "We will see. Until January 31 there are a lot of things that can happen in the transfer window, not only with Daniel."

Sturridge, who has struggled to pin down a starting berth in the Premier League against strong competition from Coutinho, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, has only just returned to fitness after being out of action since early December,

Liverpool have been looking at the possibility of bringing forward RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita's already agreed summer transfer to this month to offset the loss of Coutinho.

But this week Leipzig again told Liverpool he would not be arriving before next season.

"There is nothing to say about that," Klopp said. "He is a player of Leipzig, that's what I know, and will be here in the summer. I have nothing to say about all the rest."

Liverpool were handed a boost ahead of Sunday's visit of Premier League leaders Manchester City with the return to training of top scorer Salah.

Read More »

Liverpool reduced Coutinho price - Barcelona

Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre claimed Liverpool slashed their original asking price for Philippe Coutinho after the Brazilian playmaker completed his 160-million-euro move to the Catalan giants.

Coutinho signed a five-year contract to end a long-running transfer saga on Monday with Mestre revealing that Liverpool had originally asked for €200 million.

The news will be poorly received on Merseyside, where fans were assured the Premier League club had tried to keep hold of their star.

"Due to a contractual issue and due to Liverpool's desire, we cannot provide the exact data, but there has been a very significant reduction (in price)," the Barcelona director told a press conference at the Camp Nou.

"This time the reduction in their price was enough for us to authorise the transfer."

"We didn't want to put the club's whole economy and heritage at risk," explained Mestre, a 55-year-old who was director of the youth academy before becoming vice-president for sports at Barca.

Mestre may have been referring to demands made for Coutinho in July when Barcelona tabled three solid offers for Coutinho in the wake of an aggressive transfer struggle that saw Paris Saint-Germain take Neymar from the Catalans for a world record €222 million.

Barcelona then bought Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for a deal that could reach €147 million and Mestre said the club had been reticent to put themselves at financial risk.

Read More »

Phillipe Coutinho set to join Barcelona

Barcelona and Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle for Philippe Coutinho to move to the Spanish giants for 120 million euros ($144 million) with add-ons worth another 40 million euros, a report said on Saturday.

Barcelona-based Sport newspaper said Coutinho would join Barca this month on a deal for five seasons, although it said the details of the deal were still to be finalised.

"The club reached a deal in principle yesterday evening with Liverpool on the final amount of the deal," Sport reported.

Another newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, said Liverpool were demanding 160 million euros for 25-year-old Coutinho, but that the sum would be made up of the transfer fee and other "variables".

Coutinho's departure would be a blow to Liverpool as he is just rounding into top form, scoring six goals in the last seven games of 2017.

Crucially though, acquiring the playmaker would allow Barcelona to move on from the bitter experience of losing his Brazil teammate Neymar last summer to Qatar-backed Paris Saint-Germain for a world record 222 million euros.

Read Also: Done Deal: Barcelona Lineup this gaint Columbian centre back

Coutinho's age is also highly attractive to Barca, whose three main stars, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta are all in their thirties. Iniesta, at 33, has shown signs of fatigue this season.

Another report said Coutinho could arrive in Barcelona later Saturday and could be a spectator at Barcelona's game against Levante at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

French sport daily L'Equipe reported on Saturday that Liverpool were lining up Leicester's Riyad Mahrez to replace Coutinho, although other reports have indicated that the Merseyside club would prefer to sign Thomas Lemar from Monaco.

Coutinho played no role in Liverpool's 2-1 victory over city rivals Everton in the FA Cup on Friday. Liverpool's winner was scored by Virgil Van Dijk, the Dutch defender signed last week from Southampton for £75 million ($101.7 million, 84.5 million

Read Also: Done Deal: Barcelona Lineup this gaint Columbian centre back

Read More »

Ragnar Klavan late strike gives Reds joy

Liverpool defender Ragnar Klavan scored a dramatic injury-time winner as the Reds consolidated their place in the Premier League's top four with a 2-1 victory over Burnley on Monday.

Jurgen Klopp's side had taken the lead just after the hour after a fine strike from Senegal forward Sadio Mane -– his eighth goal of the season -- but Johann Berg Gudmundsson levelled three minutes from time with a diving header.

However, Klavan -- the first Estonian to score a goal in Premier League history -- ensured Liverpool clinched all three points when he nodded in from close range in the fourth minute of added time.

Liverpool had scored 30 goals in eight away games in all competitions before this clash, but found Burnley more stubborn opposition.

For the majority of the game the Reds were required to show a grittier side to their play compared to the free-flowing football seen this season.

Klopp made seven changes from the side which came from behind to clinch a 2-1 win over Leicester City 48 hours previously.

The visitors were without in-form duo Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah, who had thigh and groin injuries respectively.

Liverpool were fortunate not to be punished early on when Trent Alexander-Arnold was caught by Scott Arfield who slipped in Ashley Barnes, but the Clarets striker lifted his shot over the crossbar.

The Reds found their rhythm and a intricate passing move culminated in a shooting opportunity for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who saw his low angled drive beaten away by Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.

Liverpool dominated possession as the first half wore on but without Coutinho's quick-thinking creativity in midfield they struggled to break Burnley down.

Burnley threatened sporadically as they looked to soak up the pressure, although Simon Mignolet was called into action to save Arfield's glancing header.

Without Coutinho and Salah this was a game when Liverpool needed Mane to step up and recapture his scintillating form of last season, and despite largely struggling he provided a moment of quality.

When Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain intelligently picked out the run of Alexander-Arnold on the right flank, the full-back's deflected cross found Mane in the centre of the box.

The Senegal forward controlled the ball turned on sixpence and lashed an unstoppable shot past Burnley keeper Nick Pope and high into the roof of the net.

Liverpool looked the more likely to score a second and a brilliant save from Pope kept out a thumping shot from Alexander-Arnold which looked destined for the top-right corner.

Burnley equalised in the 87th minute when Charlie Taylor's cross from the left was flicked on by substitute Sam Vokes and the stooping Gudmundsson headed past Mignolet.

However, Liverpool scored with the seconds ticking away when Oxlade-Chamberlain's free-kick was headed back across goal by Dejan Lovren to leave centre-back partner Klavan with the simplest of headers from a few yards out.

Read More »

No stopping Salah - Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes winger Mohamed Salah can maintain his incredible goalscoring form for the rest of the season.

The Egypt international has netted 23 times for Liverpool in all competitions, equalling a club record set by Roger Hunt in 1961/62 for most goals in a campaign before the turn of the year.

Salah will hope to continue his hot streak against Burnley at Turf Moor on New Year's Day, although Klopp revealed he will first be checked by Liverpool's medical staff to assess a minor injury.

The 25-year-old was substituted seven minutes from time in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday having scored twice to help the Reds fight back from a goal down and secure the points.

"He was limping, and that is not a good sign," Klopp said.

"I don't know what is wrong. We will have to see what the problem was for the next game.

"But Mo can keep that standard for sure. It's not just about scoring only, it's about other situations. He is so important for us.

"He knows and I know he could not score without support of the other boys. But yes I think he can keep the standard."

Liverpool's win over Leicester was watched by new record signing Virgil van Dijk, whose £75 million ($100 million) move from Southampton will be formally completed when the transfer window opens on January 1.

The Dutch defender will not be eligible to feature against Burnley which means Klopp will again select from Joel Matip, Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren.

'AGGRESSIVE IN A LEGAL WAY'

Klopp does not think the arrival of Van Dijk will create nervousness among his existing centre-back contingent, even though their places will be under threat.

"That's part of professional football with a new player," Klopp said.

"The really good players will always say the challenge of a player in your position will help you. That's how it is.

"I don't think the boys were nervous against Leicester. I couldn't see anything of that and they don't have any reason to be because I am happy about the development of these players.

"The most important thing against Leicester was the defensive performances. I am happy with the concentration in all defending moments.

"They were aggressive in a legal way. The yellow cards showed the desire of the boys in this moment, that we wanted to turn this game."

The Premier League title will almost certainly be beyond Klopp's side this season given Manchester City's form but they have the potential of runs in both the FA Cup and Champions League.

"We cannot go the season with two centre-halves and hope nothing happens. The third one is logical and if you have a fourth one it's even better," he said.

"We have to fight and battle with the biggest teams in world football. You cannot do that with just 11 and being best friends every day."

Leicester manager Claude Puel admits his players must quickly pick themselves up from the defeat at Anfield for their clash against Huddersfield Town at the King Power Stadium.

"I am frustrated for my squad," Puel said.

"I think we deserved something for our effort and unity against Liverpool."

Read More »

Van Dijk is a good investment - Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Liverpool have spent well in paying £75 million for Virgil van Dijk, because he thinks high-quality players work out cheaper in the long run.

Guardiola was interested in signing Van Dijk from Southampton, but missed out after Liverpool agreed a deal on Wednesday, with the player making the move officially when the transfer window opens on January 1. City's manager has spent heavily on defenders himself since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium in July 2016.

Before the start of this season, he brought in Benjamin Mendy from Monaco in a deal that could be worth £52million, Kyle Walker from Tottenham for an initial £45 million, and Danilo from Real Madrid for £26.5 million.

That came a year after he spent £47.5 million on signing England centre-back John Stones away from Everton.

"Liverpool took an amazing player," said Guardiola.

"Van Dijk is an exceptional central defender, that's a price we'll see (again) in the future.

"Sometimes the cheaper players are more expensive than the expensive players. If he played six or seven years at a high level it would be cheap. If he played not well, more expensive.

"John Stones, when he came here, people said he was too expensive. Now he's too cheap. It always depends on the value of what happens on the pitch."

'NICO HAS BEEN AMAZING'

Victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday would be City’s 19th league win on the trot, equalling Guardiola's personal record, set with Bayern Munich four seasons ago.

But the City boss has warned his players they will lose a league game sooner or later, and they have to be ready to bounce back.

"I have told the players many times that we are going to lose a game. It's important how we react," said the 46-year-old Spaniard.

"The problem is not losing a game, it's how you react and immediately win again. That's the most important thing in any league if you want to win the title.

"It will be news, OK, finally Man City lose one game. That will not be big news. The big news will be to win again immediately.

"I insist many times, this isn't real or normal, we are going to drop points and that's when I want to see my team."

Guardiola suggested much of City's recent form is down to Argentinian centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, who has been their key defender during the injury absences of Kompany and Stones.

"We have a super man in the team, as Nico Otamendi helped us absolutely," Guardiola said.

"Without Nico, it would not be possible, what we have done.

"Everyone speaks about a bit of players such as Raheem (Sterling), like David (Silva), like Kevin (de Bruyne), like Sergio (Aguero), and they deserve it, but if I would like to point to a player who deserves full respect, for what they have done until now, it's Nico.

"Nico has been amazing. He is a guy who even with pain in the ankle, in the knee, in the back, he always fights. He's one of the hugest competitors I’ve ever seen in my life.

Read More »