Your morning Liverpool digest on Saturday, April 30.
Pep Guardiola sends Jurgen Klopp message and gives sarcastic response to Mohamed Salah award
Pep Guardiola has congratulated Jurgen Klopp after the Liverpool manager signed a contract extension to stay at Anfield for the next four years at least.
But the Manchester City boss had a slightly more unusual take on Reds forward Mohamad Salah being confirmed as the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year.
In a whirlwind 24 hours for the Merseyside club, Liverpool confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Klopp had signed a two year extension to his current contract, keeping him at Anfield until 2026. And on Friday morning news broke about Premier League top scorer Salah topping the Footballer of the Year poll, as voted for by industry journalists.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of City's trip to Leeds United tomorrow evening, Guardiola said: “Congratulations to Jurgen and Liverpool, it’s really good for the Premier League. I wish them all the best. Everyone has their situation and if we decide to stay longer, it’s because I decide not because my colleague Jurgen extended.”
Richard Garnett has the full story, here.
Jurgen Klopp makes 'sexy' Liverpool transfer claim as 'next steps' emerge for summer plan
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool are ready to take the "next steps" in their squad evolution as he detailed the process in identifying transfer targets.
The Reds have steadily been remoulding their squad over the past two years with Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz all playing important roles in the ongoing quest for an unprecedented quadruple.
Teenage Fulham attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho is poised to become the latest addition in the coming weeks, while the Reds are already eyeing long-term reinforcements with midfield duo Aurelian Tchouameni of Monaco and Borussia Dortmund youngster Jude Bellingham among those being monitored.
And Klopp, who joined his assistants Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz in this week extending his Anfield commitment until 2026, is convinced Liverpool are in "a good moment" to compete for their chosen transfer targets.
"I cannot remember that we struggle to get players in that we wanted to get in," said the Reds boss., whose team are at Newcastle United in the Premier League in Saturday's early kick-off. "I think Philippe (Coutinho) was the last one probably (that we lost) but that always can happen. At the moment the boys play really good football and the club is in a good place.
Ian Doyle has the full story, here.
