Jurgen Klopp to confirm Jordan Henderson replacement after Liverpool mistake

Jurgen Klopp to confirm Jordan Henderson replacement after Liverpool mistake

Jurgen Klopp will need to appoint both a new captain and vice-captain at Liverpool this summer, following Jordan Henderson’s controversial move to Al-Ettifaq.

The Reds had already lost the services of long-standing deputy to James Milner, who joined Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of his contract earlier this summer.

As a result, with the two midfielders already positioned as Liverpool’s captain and vice-captain at the time of Klopp’s appointment in October 2015, the German will need to decide successors for the first time in his Anfield career.

“It’s sad, absolutely strange, because he is the only captain I had here at Liverpool,” Klopp would concede when paying an emotional farewell to the midfielder.

Having served as third-choice captain, Virgil van Dijk is in line to be promoted as a result of Henderson and Milner’s exits.

Captaining the Reds in both their pre-season friendlies so far against Karlsruher and Furth, you would perhaps expect him to get the armband as a result.

Meanwhile, Joe Gomez has taken over captaincy duties in the second half for both fixtures this summer. However, that is a result of his status as the club’s longest-serving player rather than his place in the pecking order when it comes to the armband, given he is not actually in the club’s publicised leadership group.

So who is in line to serve as Van Dijk’s vice-captain, if the centre-back is indeed confirmed as Henderson’s successor?

A big transfer update on Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mané will vindicate Liverpool, while the Reds have a chance to sign a Manchester City target for a fee of just $45m

Phase Two of Liverpool’s summer transfer window is finally beginning.

Phase One came to an end just over three weeks ago with the completion of the Reds’ move for RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, but the subsequent lull is now over.

On Tuesday, the Reds reportedly submitted a bid worth $48m (£37m/€43m) for Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia and, though the relegated Saints rejected the offer, work will continue on the signing as Jürgen Klopp’s side pursues an agreement (via The Athletic).

Liverpool may have regarded a third midfield signing as desirable rather than essential immediately after landing Szoboszlai, the second new arrival following Alexis Mac Allister, but then the shock Saudi swoops for Fabinho and Jordan Henderson (a target for Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq) shifted the landscape entirely.