You’d think what would be the sense of Bayern going big for Wirtz since Musiala will return at some point, Diaz is now on the left and young Karl is also showing real talent while Jamal is out.
I wouldn’t read too much into it, Wirtz’s dad (even if he’s not an agent of someone else) speaking to someone from Bayern. People in football talking to each other. Big deal.
See my post up above or read the full tweet. It was not a pleasant exchange. Wirtz’s dad was not calling to discuss a potential transfer, he was calling to tell him to STFU about his son.
I wish Diaz’s dad had been the same!
I can’t see him going to Saudi, although if he was to leave this season, there are very few clubs that could afford his wages.
There is a really interesting situation with Salah brewing.
Firstly I don’t think Salah believes he is done. He still wants to play football at the highest level.
But at this point I don’t think he is getting the £400k a week it’s reckoned he earns at any top club.
Does he want to accept a squad role and continue to get the big money we pay him?
Does he want to play high level football and is he willing to take a pay cut to fund it?
Does he think ‘fuck it’ and probably take double his current wage to play in the Saudi league?
I still think he is far better than we are seeing and for whatever reason he’s not there at the moment.
But let’s see, the Afcon is the first in a long time I’m not bothered about our players going. Just a shame we aren’t in a position to capitalise on the others losing there ones.
There’s a part of me that wonders if one of the reasons why Slot is being kept by FSG is also to facilitate Salah’s exit. This season is a write-off on all fronts, one of them being Salah’s numbers - he’ll have reached the end of January on single-digit figures for the club for the first time in ages and he’s not getting any younger.
I really don’t expect him to leave before the summer but, to play the devil’s advocate, there’s probably a world in which he’s sold to a Saudi club this January, his transfer fee invested into someone like Semenyo (an inferior player but one possibly better suited to the team that should revolve around Wirtz, Szoboszlai and hopefully a restored Isak) and his wages removed from the books.
I don’t see how that would be the case. Easiest answer is that they always give their managers time, particularly when fans are still turning up to games.
A second answer would be that there is no one else immediately available to take over from him that would be worth changing for.
Really don’t see us needing to offload Mo to afford more signings either. If we were minded to move him on, the club probably doesn’t need to keep Arne to do it. I think at this moment, much of the fan base would just accept it as something that needed to happen to help the transition towards the next title challenging team.
However, I think there is also the possibility that someone like Semenyo might allow Salah the sort of support that would see him play at his best again by playing in place of one of the other forwards and being more industrious than them.
Fichajes making a reasonable guess that Mo might find Turkey more appealing than Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Pro League is still in a position to fund a move for Mohamed Salah should the Egypt forward, 33, look to leave Liverpool. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Turkish giants Galatasaray plan to tempt Salah with a contract offer worth £15m - £16.5m a season. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
I doubt he’d pick Turkey over Saudi.
Although Turkey are attracting more high profile names before they’re 30. It’s not a league for players who don’t have much to offer anymore.
Galatasaray have Sane on the right, Osimhen up top (a bit overrated in my opinion, hence why he’s in Turkey of all places at this stage being 25, 26, on the verge of 27 at least).
A good manager would sit Mo down and say you’re done here mate. Leave in January (to Saudi or wherever) and preserve your legacy and we get 400k week off the books (and perhaps a fee). Win-Win
I, and perhaps Fichajes too, wasn’t thinking in terms of football. He might prefer a Muslim country such as Turkey rather than Saudi Arabia for moral, religious or political reasons, which may include his wife feeling more comfortable there than in Saudi.
I have it on good authority that Guehi is thrilled that Parish fucked up his Liverpool transfer.
So six months ago the club gave him the biggest contract any Liverpool player has ever signed but now it’s on Slot to tell him to sling his hook?
Mad the things people say when things aren’t going well.
No it’s not on slot but it would help if he dropped the massively underperforming player and, good management, would make it clear to him that his time is up.
FFS!
You’re aware he’s not started either of the last two games?
Really sad to see a genuine club legend talked about like he’s a disposable commodity. Just a few months ago the thought of letting him walk away in the summer was unthinkable. Now things aren’t going well it’s “sling your hook mate, we’re done with you”.
You’ll never walk alone and all that until we’re done with you, then you just need to fuck off. Grim stuff.
Disagree. Definitely was talk that he needed replacing in the summer. He had an outstanding first 6 months of 24-25 but physically he has lost a lot in the last 18 months and when he’s not scoring nor contributing he shouldn’t be anywhere near playing. Arne’s comments re Salah is always in his thoughts re starting and is excellent (no mention of the elephant in the room) are worrying in that context.
To be fair, Nik said part of the reason.
I’m not even sure it’s a consideration. I think Mo’s stock has fallen dramatically amongst fans and I don’t think it really needs a patsy manager to usher him out of the door. If Mo went in January I don’t think there would be any kind of kickback from fans at all.
Mo has always been incredibly sniffy about playing as a striker, but I think this is really odd on his part. Moving inside is a well trodden path for formerly explosive wingers to extend their careers. I don’t know why Mo seems to feel it’s beneath him.
What this team definitely needed in the summer was more turnover of players.