Liverpool will be made to stew on their Champions League exit for the next couple of weeks as the international break approaches on the back of a weekend without a game.
A 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish capital on Wednesday night saw the current holders of the European Cup through with a 6-2 aggregate scoreline against the Reds, equalling their worst-ever two-legged result on the continent, set against Spartak Moscow in the 1992-93 campaign. The 7-3 loss to Ajax in 1966 also sits alongside those unwanted results.
Next up for the Reds is a visit to the Etihad as they aim to secure a first Premier League win away to Manchester City since 2015. Fulham's involvement in the FA Cup at Manchester United means there is no match this weekend to try and get that Madrid loss - or last week's defeat to Bournemouth - out of their system quickly.
Instead, Jurgen Klopp now faces a long and no doubt anxious wait before his players are involved once more. Here's all the latest tidbits doing the rounds in the ECHO's latest edition of the Liverpool Notebook.
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Liverpool's transfer longlists
Liverpool are understood to have lengthened their shortlist of potential signings this summer due to their uncertainty around the club at present.
As Fenway Sports Group continue to scour the globe for potential investors, the Reds remain mired in a fight for the top four in the Premier League on the pitch.
Midfield is the major priority for Jurgen Klopp this summer as sporting director Julian Ward aims to sign off from a decade at the club with a flourish, providing the team with the right players needed for the rebuild to be accelerated.
Jude Bellingham, of course, remains the primary target, while interest in Wolves Matheus Nunes is also understood to be genuine. The club's recruitment team have identified an unspecified number of other potential players to try and lure to the AXA Training Centre this summer, however, due to the ongoing questions that remain over budget.
It marks something of a change for a club who have typically whittled down their list of targets to just a handful in recent years. In 2020, the Reds had two other players of interest in Ismaila Sarr and Jonathan David before they signed Diogo Jota, while Kostas Tsimikas won the day after they had also run the rule over Sergi Reguillon, Lloyd Kelly and Jamal Lewis.
The list of potential midfielders, however, is believed to be higher than usual at this stage of the campaign as the Reds hurtle towards a major summer. Expect plenty of transfer links as a result in the coming weeks.
Firmino disappointment
There won't be a dry eye in the house when Roberto Firmino calls time on eight years of glittering service in May.
Firmino is set to leave the club this summer when his contract expires and he won't be short of offers from around the world when he comes to decide his next move. It's understood no decision has been made on that for now.
The Brazil has lit up Anfield like few others before him and his exit will be keenly felt by staff at the AXA Training Centre who have become incredibly fond of the flamboyant Firmino and his megawatt perma-smile.
"Bobby is a cast-iron legend," was one staff member's description of him earlier this month. His departure will be one of the most bittersweet moments of the Klopp era and he will be sorely missed by those who work with him day and day out.
"Roberto is amazing as a player and a person," Harvey Elliott said recently. "He has helped me out massively. He always has a smile on his face no matter the situation and for me he's been a big help, trying to learn things off him and he's one of a kind."
Virgil van Dijk was similarly effusive, saying: "He's been so influential for this football club and he should definitely be remembered as one of the legends."
The Anfield send-off, against Aston Villa in May, will be one to remember. A club legend? Si Senor.
Security concerns
Liverpool have moved to lightly step up their security around Anfield's press area on match-days after a brief incident last month.
A person attempted to enter the media zone ahead of the visit from Real Madrid on February 21 by impersonating a member of the press, complete with a lanyard that had not been given to them by club staff.
It's understood that the person in question quietly accepted defeat after their ID was checked but the club have taken small steps to ensure the incident won't be repeated going forward.
With the demands for tickets and access to Anfield now at incredible levels, security has been tightened and members of the media are asked to hand over their identification when they leave the ground for fear of a repeat incident.
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