I love this team: Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool’s new midfield is ‘good business’
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp loves his reinvented midfield and believes the club have done good business this summer. The £35million signing of Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, with the deal expected to be finalised before the deadline after the 21-year-old flew to Merseyside for his medical on Thursday, will complete a total rejuvenation of the Reds’ engine room. Klopp was always planning to revamp his midfield this summer but even he did not expect to change the whole unit, only for the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia to force him into a radical overhaul. Argentina’s World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai were early arrivals as part of the planned revamp, but the addition of Wataru Endo and Gravenberch, who was a long-term target but was considered unavailable, came much later than expected after Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia both turned them down for a move to Chelsea. “We pretty much had to reinvent the team. The midfield is all ready and will be completely new,” he said. “We had to do that in a season where we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, which has a massive impact. “I know people expect it to be different but it is how it is. I really think we did good business, the players we brought in are really good, will help the team. “We are less experienced but that is normal, but we are full of desire and I love this team.” Mac Allister, who was initially asked to play an unfamiliar holding role, and Szoboszlai have both settled in quickly, which was to be expected as they had a full pre-season to adapt to Klopp’s methods. The manager expects them to make bigger strikes, although he conceded Endo will take longer after only arriving from Stuttgart mid-August, but believes they have the capability to match the successes of the players they have replaced. “The natural skill-set is obvious but we had to replace the most successful midfield in the young (recent) history of this club,” added Klopp ahead of Sunday’s visit of Aston Villa. “Fabinho, Henderson, Milner, Gini Wijnaldum a few years ago. All had big parts in the team. Naby (Keita), (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain, they all played big parts in that midfield. “In our best periods I remember you asked me the question if we had enough of a goal threat from this midfield when we scored all the goals from the front line. “I think we have much more goal threat in midfield now but the work-rate these guys put in, the stability they gave us was second-to-none and that is what we have to create as well. “We will see how we do that because we can play different systems, we have to think about that during the season definitely. “But I think it is clear the players we brought in have real quality, are young and in a super way really excited about the opportunity of being here, so that’s a cool mix.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Manchester City sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves for £53million Chelsea and Manchester United kick off deadline-day moves England Under-21s look to new blood in wake of victorious Euro 2023 campaign
2023-09-01 18:28
Tottenham confident of Brennan Johnson deadline day deal
Tottenham are confident of finalising the signing of Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson on deadline day.
2023-09-01 18:27
Why are there no NBA games on Thanksgiving?
The NBA regular season is just getting into full swing in November. So why doesn't the league play any games on Thanksgiving?
2023-09-01 18:27
Caesars + DraftKings College Football Promos: Win $450 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Week 1 Game!
Caesars and DraftKings are giving new users a guaranteed $450 bonus on any college football game this weekend! Find out how to claim each offer here.
2023-09-01 18:24
Best Kentucky Pre-Registration Offers Now LIVE! ($250+ in Sign-Up Bonuses!)
Kick off your sports betting career with access to over $500 in bonus bets with these limited-time offers at Bet365, FanDuel and BetMGM. Read more to learn how you can lock in your bonuses in minutes today.
2023-09-01 18:23
Claim $400+ in GUARANTEED Bonuses With Best Kentucky Sportsbook Pre-Registration Promos!
Sign up for these four sportsbooks and get over $400 in bonuses when Kentucky launches sports betting. Find out how to claim each exclusive offer here.
2023-09-01 18:22
Luis Rubiales news LIVE: Spain manager Jorge Vilda set for sack but FA president clings to power
Luis Rubiales faces fresh criticism from his own family as the scandal surrounding the Spanish Football Federation president continues. Rubiales’ uncle gave an explosive interview accusing his nephew of being “obsessed with power, with luxury, and with women”. While Rubiales also sent a new video to Fifa appearing to show Jenni Hermoso laughing over his infamous kiss. In the video, Hermoso smiles as she shows her teammates a meme about the kiss to her teammates. Rubiales is still hoping to clear his name amid growing pressure to resign his post after Hermoso said the kiss was non-consensual and symptomatic of a broken culture in Spanish football. FOLLOW LIVE - Transfer news latest: Chelsea sign Cole Palmer on deadline day as Manchester United confirm signing Spain’s controversial manager Jorge Vilda meanwhile is on the verge of being sacked by the newly convened board of the Football Federation after he refused a request to resign. Follow all the latest updates from the Luis Rubiales crisis: Read More Luis Rubiales is just the latest crisis in Spanish FA’s dark history Luis Rubiales sends Fifa new video of Jenni Hermoso laughing over kiss on team bus England boss Sarina Wiegman: The issues around the Spanish team really hurts me
2023-09-01 18:19
Cole Palmer completes Chelsea move from Man City for £42.5m
Chelsea have signed Cole Palmer from Manchester City for an initial £40m. The Blues could pay a further £2.5m in add-ons, boosting Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. Palmer becomes Chelsea’s 13th signing of the summer and has penned a seven-year contract with an option to add a further 12 months to his stay at Stamford Bridge. FOLLOW LIVE - Transfer Deadline Day Latest: Ryan Gravenberch on brink of Liverpool move as Man Utd sign Turkish goalkeeper “I’m excited to get started and it feels great to sign,’ said Palmer. “I’ve joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents. “It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here.” While co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: “Cole arrives with experience of winning the Premier League and Champions League and adds further quality and versatility to our attacking unit. ‘He has showcased his talent and potential in the most challenging environments and delivered on the international stage for England this summer at the European Under-21 Championships. He is undoubtedly ready for this next step and we are delighted it will be with Chelsea.” :: Get all the latest football betting sites offers here and the latest odds on transfer deadline day deals here. Read More Deadline day latest LIVE: Premier League transfers as the window prepares to shut Transfers latest LIVE: Premier League updates ahead of deadline day How Lukaku, football’s nearly man, became Mourinho’s ideal signing
2023-09-01 17:57
Man United start deadline day by signing Turkish goalkeeper as Dean Henderson replacement
Manchester United have signed Turkey international goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce for £4.3m. The 25-year-old joins as a replacement for Dean Henderson, who completed a £20m move to Crystal Palace on Thursday, and could be the first of three deadline-day acquisitions for United. Bayindir, who has been Fenerbahce’s first-choice goalkeeper for the past four seasons, is Erik ten Hag’s second goalkeeping signing of the summer, after Andre Onana, and, along with Tom Heaton, will provide back up to the Cameroonian. FOLLOW LIVE: Transfer deadline day rumours, latest news and done deals Bayindir has signed a four-year contract, with United having the option to keep him at Old Trafford until 2028. He said: “It is a huge honour to join Manchester United and become the first Turkish player to represent this incredible club. I have a passion for success, and I will give everything to help this special group of players to achieve our ambitions. “I cannot wait to start working with such an experienced goalkeeping unit. We will support each other and drive high standards every day so that each of us is ready to perform whenever called upon.” United director football John Murtough added: “Altay is an excellent addition to our squad and adds further quality to our already strong group of experienced goalkeepers. Having consistently performed at a high level in a strong European league, he has the qualities to support us in achieving our ambitions across all competitions this season and beyond.” United are also targeting a left-back, likely to be Sergio Reguilon after he concluded a medical last night, and a midfielder before the transfer window closes. :: Get all the latest football betting sites offers here and the latest odds on transfer deadline day deals here. Read More Manchester United looking to make deadline-beating move for Sergio Reguilon Dean Henderson completes Crystal Palace move as Manchester United line up replacement Dean Henderson set for Sam Johnstone battle after Crystal Palace move
2023-09-01 17:53
Chelsea and Manchester United kick off deadline-day moves
Chelsea and Manchester United made early moves on what looks set to be a busy transfer deadline day. The Blues completed the signing of Manchester City forward Cole Palmer on a seven-year contract. The PA news agency understands the club will pay an initial £40million for the 21-year-old academy graduate with an additional £2.5m in possible add-ons. “I’m excited to get started and it feels great to sign,” Palmer told his new club’s website. “I’ve joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents. It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here.” It takes spending in the 16 months since the club was acquired by Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium to over £1billion, with Palmer the 12th player through the door during the summer transfer window. United confirmed the signing of Turkey international goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce. The 25-year-old has signed an initial four-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option of a further year. Bayindir is the second goalkeeper signed by the Red Devils this summer and will provide competition to fellow new arrival Andre Onana. “It is a huge honour to join Manchester United and become the first Turkish player to represent this incredible club,” Bayindir said in the statement announcing his signing. United could add further recruits on deadline day, with a loan move for Tottenham full-back Sergio Reguilon close to completion. Nottingham Forest signed Arsenal full-back Nuno Tavares on a season-long loan, with the option of making it permanent. “Forest is an historic club which won two European Cups and to be part of it makes me really happy,” he said. “I’m really happy to stay in the Premier League as it’s the best league in the world and I’m thankful to Forest for giving me that opportunity.” Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed out on loan to Championship outfit Southampton.
2023-09-01 17:52
Six huge transfers that could go through before summer window deadline
Six big-name transfers that could still happen before the summer transfer window slams shut, including Mohamed Salah and Sofyan Amrabat.
2023-09-01 17:50
England Under-21s look to new blood in wake of victorious Euro 2023 campaign
Just seven of England’s European Under-21 Championship winners are in Lee Carsley’s latest squad as a new cycle begins. The likes of Anthony Gordon, Morgan Gibbs-White, Emile Smith-Rowe and Jacob Ramsey are no longer eligible as the Young Lions kick off their qualifying process for the 2025 tournament against Luxembourg on September 11. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, James Trafford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Charlie Cresswell, Harvey Elliott, new Chelsea signing Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke are those who remain from this summer’s successful tournament in Romania and Georgia. Manchester City duo Rico Lewis and James McAtee are back in the squad following their absence in the summer while Carsley has included a host of players from the England Under-20s group in his 23-man squad. Among those is Tottenham striker Dane Scarlett, while Borussia Dortmund striker Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Juventus forward Sam Iling-Junior are also included. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-09-01 17:46
