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Liverpool have shifted their summer transfer focus to Yan Diomande after a potential deal for Michael Olise was deemed unrealistic.

According to Florian Plettenberg, the 19-year-old winger is being closely monitored by the Reds, with preliminary talks already taking place.

Liverpool are looking for a high-quality attacking option ahead of next season, as uncertainty surrounds the futures of Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa.

RB Leipzig are understood to be demanding up to €100 million for Diomande, making a move to Bayern Munich equally unrealistic at this stage.

Liverpool will continue to monitor the situation as they plan their summer recruitment strategy.

Ibrahima Konate has moved to the top of Real Madrid’s transfer shortlist for the summer.

The 26-year-old centre-back, whose contract with Liverpool expires this summer, is said to have mentally closed the chapter on his time in England, according to BILD.

Konate’s potential free transfer gives Real Madrid a cost-effective option compared to alternatives such as Nico Schlotterbeck, for whom a fee of around €40 million would be required despite a market value of €55 million and a contract running until 2027 with Borussia Dortmund.

With Real looking to strengthen their defence ahead of next season, Konate’s availability on a free transfer makes him an attractive proposition, potentially giving Los Blancos a high-quality, economical solution at the back.

Liverpool’s managerial situation could become one of the biggest talking points of the upcoming summer as pressure builds on head coach Arne Slot.

According to TEAMtalk, the Dutchman’s position will be carefully evaluated once the 2025/26 season concludes, with former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso reportedly identified as the ownership group’s preferred candidate should a change be made.

Liverpool remain in the midst of a challenging campaign that has raised questions about the team’s long-term direction.

While the club are still competing for European qualification, inconsistency in performances has sparked debate among supporters and pundits about whether Slot’s project is progressing quickly enough.

Arne Slot continues to struggle this season

Slot arrived at Anfield with a strong reputation after his impressive work in the Eredivisie, where he built attacking, high-pressing teams known for their fluid football.

Liverpool’s hierarchy believed his tactical approach aligned with the club’s traditional identity.

However, adapting to the Premier League has proven demanding. Liverpool’s title defense has faltered this season, leaving them outside the top four for long stretches of the campaign.

Defensive vulnerabilities, injuries to key players, and the challenge of integrating younger talent have all contributed to the team’s uneven form.

Xabi Alonso is the preferred choice of Liverpool owners

If Liverpool were to consider a managerial change, Xabi Alonso appears to be the leading candidate in the eyes of the club’s ownership.

The Spaniard’s managerial reputation has grown rapidly following his success in Germany, where he has developed a reputation for tactical sophistication and strong player development.

Alonso’s connection with Liverpool also adds emotional appeal. During his playing career at Anfield, he was a central figure in one of the club’s most memorable eras, including the dramatic 2005 Champions League triumph.

His understanding of the club’s culture and expectations makes him a particularly attractive option.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

A fresh injury update on Alexander Isak is set to keep Liverpool fans guessing as to when the Reds’ club-record signing will return to action.

The 26-year-old has been sidelined for the past two-and-a-half months, having suffered a broken leg in the 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur just before Christmas, a further setback on top of the fragmented start to his season due to fitness issues.

A return date of late March had been cited by reliable sources, and Sweden manager Graham Potter had recently sounded hopeful of potentially having our number 9 available for their World Cup play-off against Ukraine in three weeks’ time.

However, a report from VM Fotboll suggests that Isak is unlikely to recover in time to try and help his country to qualify for the finals in North America this summer.

Isak set to miss World Cup play-offs

It’s stated that the Liverpool striker – along with Spurs duo Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski, and possibly goalkeeper Viktor Johansson – are ‘expected to be out’ of the Sweden squad when it is named no later than 12:00 CET on 18 March, eight days before the Ukraine match.Should Potter’s team win that fixture, they would then host Albania or Poland in a play-off final, with the winners duly qualifying for the World Cup.

Isak will need time to get up to speed once he returns from injury

In the likely event of Isak missing out on the upcoming games for his country, it means that his return to action won’t come any sooner than early April, and even that could be subject to how well he progresses in the final stages of his recovery.

Even when the 26-year-old is cleared for a comeback, it’ll almost certainly take him a few games to fully get up to speed, considering how long he’s been sidelined and the issues that he had in the opening weeks of the season.

Therefore, we shouldn’t burden the striker with an expectation to hit the ground running once he’s back in action, and the likelihood is that he’ll be reintegrated gradually as a substitute before reclaiming a starting berth.

In the meantime, everyone associated with Liverpool will simply be praying that Hugo Ekitike can remain fit and available and can keep up the fine form which has seen him net 16 times already in his debut campaign at Anfield.

Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Wolverhampton was a major blow to Liverpool hopes of finishing in the Premier League top five and securing a spot in Europe’s elite competition.

According to the BBC, missing out on a top-five finish would have significant financial consequences for Liverpool, with an estimated £120 million difference between participation in the Champions League and the Europa League.

Last season, Liverpool earned £85.3 million in UEFA prize money for reaching the Champions League Round of 16. In 2023/24, the Reds were eliminated in the Europa League quarter-finals, receiving £23.3 million.

Beyond prize money, matchday revenue and commercial income would also be affected, as key sponsorship contracts include bonuses tied to Champions League participation.

However, Liverpool remain in a strong financial position, meaning one season without the Champions League would not be catastrophic for the club.

Jurgen Klopp has seen his odds slashed to become the next Liverpool manager as pressure increases on Arne Slot.

The Reds suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Tuesday, damaging their Champions League hopes.

As a result, further questions are being asked of Slot, with their form in the Premier League being far too inconsistent this season.

Slot’s sacking at Liverpool has not been ruled out before the end of the season, and now, the bookies believe Klopp has a solid chance of returning to Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp second favourite to become next Liverpool manager

Klopp has continued to be linked with a Liverpool return this season as the club’s form continues to dwindle.

The 58-year-old is yet to return to the dugout since he left the Reds in 2024.

However, he has now been placed as the joint-second favourite for the job if Slot is to be sacked.

Klopp is currently 8/1 to take over Liverpool next, with Oddschecker on 4 March confirming that these odds have been slashed.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the owners look to facilitate a Klopp return, with multiple other managers linked to the position.

Who else is linked with the Liverpool job?

Football Insider recently revealed that Slot could be sacked if Liverpool don’t qualify for the Champions League.

With this looking likely to become a reality, one bookmaker has made Xabi Alonso the comfortable favourite to take over at Anfield next.

Currently at 3/1 odds, it would make a sensational return for the former midfielder after he was let go from Real Madrid earlier this season.

Following this is Luis Enrique at 8/1. The current PSG manager has been linked away from the club in recent months over speculation regarding his contract situation.

Steven Gerrard is yet to be ruled out at 14/1. The former Aston Villa and Rangers manager is yet to return to the dugout since he left Al-Ettifaq in January 2025.

A potential outsider for the role is Robert De Zerbi, who is also 14/1 to the job.

The former Brighton manager left Marseille earlier this season after his failure to reach the Champions League knockouts before being humbled by PSG shortly after.

Slot will be facing some major pressure after his Reds side were beaten 2-1 by bottom club Wolves on Tuesday evening.

A last-gasp winner from Andre sent Molineux into delirium, while the travelling fans were left furious by the result.

It was a crucial night for Liverpool’s pursuit of Champions League football next season, as three points would have put them back into the Premier League‘s top four.

However, after the shock loss, they’re now facing a drop to sixth in the table and a potential six-point gap to the top four.

Slot had already been coming under pressure in the Reds hotseat, amid their title defence woes this campaign.

But now, more calls are coming for Jurgen Klopp‘s successor to be sacked, especially with a big-name manager available.

And one of those calls has come from Liverpool fan Richard, who is desperate for his club to make a change before it’s too late.

He told talkSPORT Breakfast: “I said before Christmas, we’re not going to qualify for Europe, without a shadow of a doubt.

“It would mean we won’t have the funds, we won’t entice any good players in the post-season.

“I just think that Liverpool are going to react to this situation too late and by the time they react, Xabi Alonso will be somewhere else, and we’ll be left hanging in the wind with no one.”

When asked whether he is saying that Slot should be sacked now by co-host Gabby Agbonlahor, Richard added: “Yeah, I am. 

“Because why talk about what the rest of the league’s doing, when you’ve got problems to sort out in your own team, he should be focused on getting Liverpool playing football. And it’s always: ‘Oh, we were unlucky, we’ve done this, done that’.

“I’m sorry, he’s just not got the fibre. He’s not got the soul, the family spirit that you need with Liverpool.

“I know it’s a big act to follow in Jurgen Klopp, I totally understand that, but he’s just not grasped the spirit of Liverpool Football Club.”

What has Slot said? 

Liverpool supporter Richard has been left fuming by Slot commenting on other teams in the Premier League.

The Dutch boss had said before their loss to Wolves that the quality of top-flight football this season is not as good as it was before.

He stated: “You have to accept it. I think it’s mainly here in the Premier League. If I watch other leagues, I don’t think there’s so much emphasis on set-pieces.

“Now, most of the games I see in the Premier League are not for me a joy to watch, but it’s always interesting because it’s so competitive.”

And following the defeat at Molineux, Slot then went on to say: “How do I sum this up? Same old story.

“My expectations have changed throughout the season because I expected more from us and what we are fighting for now. But it’s another setback and we didn’t help ourselves with this result.

“That is a concern because it is not the first time we have dropped points against teams that are in these positions. But we are not the first team to drop points here, last week it was Aston Villa, the week before Arsenal. So they are having a good momentum.”

Alonso to Liverpool?

With Liverpool’s uncharacteristic struggles continuing this season, Alonso may be on alert to step in should they sack Slot.

The former Reds midfielder, who won the Champions League with the club and made over 200 appearances, is a free agent.

He left Real Madrid with immediate effect in January as the Spanish giants announced his shock departure after a loss to Barcelona. 

Alonso took charge of 34 games as Real boss, winning 24 of them, but still being dismissed amid reported friction with the squad.

Since his sacking, the 44-year-old has been linked to multiple new clubs, including Marseille, Manchester Cityand Tottenham.

talkSPORT understands that Alonso is set to become a candidate to replace Pep Guardiola should he leave Man City, while he has been tipped by many to become Spurs’ next boss.

However, as of yet, his next destination remains unclear and that leaves the door open for a return to Anfield.

Slot remains manager for now, but should Liverpool act, the Spaniard could end up becoming a leading contender.

Steven Gerrard called out two Liverpool players over their role in Wolves’ opening goal in the Reds’ 2-1 defeat at Molineux on Tuesday night.

After a dismally unwatchable first 70 minutes, the subsequent 20 were packed with incident, and the home side scored from their very shot with less than a quarter-hour of normal time remaining.

Virgil van Dijk was outmuscled by Tolu Arokodare, with the Dutchman’s pleas for a foul falling on deaf ears, and the latter then fed Rodrigo Gomes, who managed to get a shot away and score past Alisson Becker despite the close attention of Ibrahima Konate.

Gerrard calls out Van Dijk and Konate over Wolves opener

Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, Gerrard felt that the Liverpool captain was too weak in losing the initial duel, while also laying blame on his centre-back partner for not putting in a strong enough challenge on the eventual goalscorer.

The 45-year-old said: “I don’t think it’s a foul. He [Van Dijk] has got to be a lot stronger in that situation. I also think that Konate could’ve bailed him out of trouble. He’s gone with the wrong leg trying to put in a tackle. He’s gotta use his long levers and try to wrap his right foot and his right leg around the ball and take ball and man. 

“He could’ve bailed out Van Dijk but you’re clutching at straws asking for a foul there. You’re up against big, strong sub who’s come off the bench. He’s the focal point; you know he’s gonna try and dominate you from a physical point of view. You’ve gotta be ready for that. You’ve gotta stand up and be stronger, so I think he’ll be slightly disappointed in himself when he watches that back.”

Preventable errors cost Liverpool dearly yet again

Gerrard’s criticism of the Liverpool duo is legitimate. Van Dijk at his best simply doesn’t get beaten so easily in a duel, even against opponents as burly as Arokodare, while Konate’s positioning allowed Gomes far too much space to surge forward and gave the Frenchman too much to do in terms of recovery.

There was a high level of risk attached to making a last-ditch challenge, as a red card would’ve been inevitable had he gotten it wrong, but with a better starting position he may well have been able to dispossess the goalscorer cleanly before it ever got into the penalty area.

It’s individual errors such as those, and the careless distribution which led to the ‘mess’ of a winning goal from Andre Trindade (as James Pearce put it), that cost the Reds dearly last night and could also come back to haunt them in the race for Champions League football.

The sloppy concession of costly late goals has been a theme of Liverpool’s season, and unless they address that Achilles heel in their remaining Premier League fixtures, a top-five finish will most likely elude them.

Virgil van Dijk vented his anger towards Federico Chiesa following Wolves’ decisive goal at Molineux. Rob Edwards’ outfit pulled off a surprise 2-1 triumph in the Premier League as the Reds squandered an opportunity to climb into fourth position.

Mohamed Salah netted an 83rd-minute leveller in a chaotic conclusion after Rodrigo Gomes had opened the scoring in the Midlands. However, Andre sparked wild celebrations in the stands with a 94th-minute winner.

Liverpool skipper Van Dijk was left furious following the late setback and yelled in Chiesa’s direction, evidently unimpressed with the Italian’s contribution. Alisson had launched a pass towards the winger, but after the duo failed to connect, Chiesa did not track back in an attempt to retrieve the ball.

Andre’s strike then deflected beyond the Brazilian and into the net. A series of issues emerged in the post-match analysis.

Van Dijk was more measured in his post-match interview, though still frustrated by the nature of the defeat.

“Conceding goals is always frustrating,” he told TNT Sport when asked if there were any frustrations about the manner of the two Wolves goals. “Obviously we’ve come on the back of a couple of clean sheets and I think defensively we have been very solid.

“But yeah, listen, it is what it is and we have to move quickly on because we come back here in a couple of days and we want to do well in the FA Cup as well and we have to show a reaction.”

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard reckons his former side were sluggish in responding to an error from Alisson. “The Liverpool players from the goalkeeper’s mistake – it’s not the greatest clearance from Alisson – but I just thought they were slow to react in midfield as well,” he commented on TNT Sports.

“You know, Wolves are jumping on the first ball, picking up the second ball. It’s a poor goal from a Liverpool point of view to concede, and it’s another late one. It’s happened too many times that they’re conceding these late goals.

“I just think the speed of the reaction from the poor clearance – I’m sure Alisson will want to own up to it – but the reaction’s just too slow.”

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, though, laid the blame at a different door. He identified the pass to Alisson as the issue.

“It was a mistake from Curtis Jones – he plays a ball into Alisson and Alisson’s never going to get any purchase on it,” Warnock stated on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Andre looked heavy in the last five or so minutes but he takes a shot and it takes a wicked deflection to loop over Alisson.”

Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal fans are in agreement that their club must sign one star player if Wolves are relegated this season.

On Tuesday night, Liverpool travelled to the Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in a match that could have significant repercussions for both sides.

Heading into the game, Liverpool knew that a win would be needed to continue their push to qualify for the Champions League next season, meanwhile anything other than a loss could help Wolves survive relegation this season.

Ultimately, it was Wolves that will have left the match the happiest, as a stunning goal from Rodrigo Gomes gave the home side the lead in the match, before Andre’s first goal in 60 appearances for Wolves ruled out Mo Salah’s equaliser to win the match.

But after the final whistle, it wasn’t Wolves’ goalscorers that fans from across the Premier League were demanding their clubs sign in the summer transfer window.

Rodrigo Gomes opened the scoring in the match. (Image: Brett Patzke – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images)

Despite Wolves picking up three key points against the Premier League champions, the club still faces a major uphill battle if they hope to survive the drop to the Championship at the end of the season in just a few months time.

If the midlands club is to drop down at the end of the season, then it is almost certain that several of their key players will look to leave the club in the summer, and it appears that Joao Gomes will be a man in demand.

Posting on X following the match at the Molineux, a United fan wrote: “Joao Gomes is fantastic. He really should be one of the midfielders coming in for Man United during the summer. He should be a bit cheaper after Wolves get relegated as well.”

Another agreed, suggesting: “Joao Gomes, Ugarte simple in and out.”

Meanwhile a Liverpool fan claimed: “We should be all over Joao Gomes in the summer.”

With an Arsenal fan adding: “I wouldn’t mind to seeing Joao Gomes at Arsenal one day.”

Joao Gomes impressed during Wolves Premier League clash with Liverpool. (Image: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Gomes has been a key player for Wolves this season, making 32 appearances for the club across all competitions.

Recently, the Brazilian bounced back after being dropped after a blip in form, as he produced a man-of-the-match performance, scoring his first goal since February 2025 in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa.