Liverpool transfer news LIVE – Jude Bellingham stance, Josko Gvardiol update, Kylian Mbappe claim

Liverpool transfer news, rumors, gossip and speculation including updates on Jude Bellingham Josko Gvardiol, N’Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, Piotr Zielinski and more

Liverpool have again been linked with a move by RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, who plays against Manchester City in the Champions League last night.

Liverpool learned a brutal £123m lesson across three transfers and the fourth could be even worse

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have faced Real Madrid five times in recent years but remain winless after clashes with the La Liga giants.

Four defeats, a 0-0 behind closed doors (when they are already 3-1 down) is the best result they can show for their efforts. Losing two Champions League finals among that quintet, the Reds’ 5-2 training session at Anfield on Tuesday night was the Spaniards’ latest injury infliction.

Their two goals at least saw them double their tally against Real Madrid under the German coach, although 12 goals conceded tell their story. Liverpool have won the draw since Klopp’s men first met Real Madrid in the Champions League final in 2018. But while they have since been crowned champions of England, Europe and the world, each honor was a unique achievement.

On the brink of an unprecedented treble nine months ago, Real Madrid’s last win in the Champions League final against the Reds saw them celebrate a single domestic cup double. Now their 5-2 victory marked the end of an era at Anfield, making it even clearer that Liverpool have an aging, overwhelmed and stuck in transition squad.

Real Madrid have almost ‘no chance’ with Jude Bellingham.

Real Madrid believe they have ‘almost no chance’ in the battle with Liverpool and Manchester City against Jude Bellingham. The 19-year-old midfielder is expected to leave Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund this summer and Liverpool and Real Madrid, who contested a Champions League classic on Tuesday night, should lead the hunt for his signature.

However, according to The Athletic, the 14-time European Cup winners are pessimistic about their chances of signing the England international due to the potential finances of the deal and also their non-urgent attitude towards midfield reinforcements.

David Ornstein wrote in The Athletic: “Sources close to the club insist they have almost no chance of sealing the deal due to the financial situation; last year they sent a similar message when they felt Erling Haaland was not more practicable.

“Real insist they have a number – which is far less than the €150m that Dortmund wants – that they will not go over with this deal.

“They would point to the relatively low fees they have paid for players in recent seasons compared to wealthier English clubs and they expect Bellingham to go to the Premier League. “Unlike Liverpool, Real don’t have a midfielder as their top priority. They badly need a number 9 or a winger who can play on the right side with Karim Benzema who is now 35.

ICYMI: Everton and Liverpool received different fines after brawls in Merseyside derby

Everton and Liverpool have both been fined by the FA after players from both clubs were involved in an altercation during the closing stages of the Merseyside derby earlier this month.

Chaos ensued when an argument broke out between Andy Robertson and Jordan Pickford, with both players later booked for their roles in a scrum which drew players from both sides – and several Liverpool substitutes.

Everton have been fined £40,000 and Liverpool £25,000 by an independent regulatory commission, the FA said.

Djibril Cisse expects Kylian Mbappe to move Anfield

Speaking to Ladbrokes Fanzone (via the Daily Star), the former Liverpool striker said:

I really want to see Kylian Mbappe at Liverpool – would love to see him at Anfield. In this team, he would do so much damage.

I know his mother likes Liverpool but the boy likes Real Madrid so he knows where he will end up. But I want to dream of seeing him at Liverpool… and they say mums are never wrong, so maybe we’ll see him in a Liverpool shirt soon!

How is the rest of the week for Liverpool?

The Reds travel to south London tomorrow night, where they face Crystal Palace in their final Premier League fixture on Saturday at 7.45pm. It means manager Jurgen Klopp will meet the media on Friday at the AXA Training Center, where he’ll provide a sneak peek at the Palace encounter, a second look at Tuesday’s Real Madrid defeat and perhaps an injury update on Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz.

For Palace, they will face a slew of injury concerns on Saturday, as Wilfried Zaha misses the game with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Tyrick Mitchell is expected to transition into form.

Historic white paper released which will have a major impact on Everton and Liverpool

The government has set out its vision to secure the long-term future of English football.

The highly anticipated white paper landed on the back cover of the Fan-Led Review, also known as the Crouch Report, of English football in the wake of the failed European Super League plot and the collapse of historic football clubs such as Bury FC and Macclesfield Village. That assessment was completed in November 2021 by MP Tracey Crouch, a former sports minister, and was approved by the government five months later. However, its publication was delayed by a series of leadership changes and government crises.

The publication of the White Paper has taken on many of the recommendations of the Crouch report, with the most important proposed changes being the introduction of an independent English football regulatory body, the power to review any move by clubs to join a championship breakaway and tougher tests for owners and drivers.