Liverpool signed a new defender, while Mohamed Salah led Lionel Messi to the Ballon d’Or, worthy of a new deal.
The international break is almost over, which means Liverpool will be back in the Premier League next week.
The Reds went into the break on a high after a promising start to the league which ended with a convincing 3-0 win over Aston Villa. With Wolves next up, all eyes will be on maintaining their form in the Premier League championship.
With Manchester City not kicking off until next Saturday, three points at Molineux will take Jurgen Klopp’s side back to the top of the Premier League table, a situation that seemed almost unfathomable after last season’s disappointments. Most of that was down to Liverpool’s team management. The signings of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, who both won 1-0 against their country in midweek, have allowed the Reds to fast-track their plans to return to the Champions League.
With two key encoders installed on Klopp’s revamped machine, “heavy metal football” is set again and the control element is now inside the strings.
In a typically quiet period for Liverpool fans, the Reds were able to enjoy some brilliant performances from their players. Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez enjoyed international success, while Andy Robertson took Scotland a step closer to European Championship qualification with a 3-0 win over Cyprus. It’s five wins from five for Scotland, who now have a nine-point lead over second-placed Spain.
But with league football soon to return without a break in the transfer window, Liverpool must now focus on preparing their squad for the future, with signings likely to emerge as January approaches.
Kostas Tsimikas has agreed to a new two-year extension, reports The Athletic. The Greek star’s new deal will keep him on Merseyside until 2027, ensuring a key player and popular member of the squad.
Although Tsimikas did not replace Robertson as the starting left-back, he provided Klopp with a useful option, making 20 Premier League appearances last season. Read more about David Comerford by clicking here.
Mohamed Salah wins Ballon d’Or over Lionel Messi
Mohamed Salah became one of four players nominated for each of the five Ballon d’Or awards with his latest bid for the 2023 award. Salah was instrumental in Liverpool’s late form last season, scoring 19 goals and providing 12 assists in 38 Premier League matches.
Only Kylian Mbappé, Kevin De Bruyne and Karim Benzema have achieved the same feat among consecutive nominees in the past five editions of the award, creating an exclusive four-man club without Inter Miami’s favorite striker Lionel Messi. for this year’s award after he and Liverpool’s Alexis MacAllister won the World Cup.
This underlines the importance of the Egypt international, who was targeted by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad at the end of the transfer window. With all the talk focusing on transfers, maybe Liverpool really should think about a new deal.
