Latest news with #FanDebate
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jamie Carragher Shares his Thoughts on Liverpool's Summer Transfer Plans
Liverpool's Summer Shake-Up: Carragher Predicts Surprise Sales Amid Slot's Transfer Drive Liverpool are not simply basking in the glory of a title-winning campaign under Arne Slot, they are already looking ahead. With the Dutchman delivering the Premier League in his first season, expectations have shifted from cautious optimism to sustained dominance. Advertisement This new era at Anfield has made one thing clear — there's no time for sentimentality. Even with a historic campaign fresh in memory, Liverpool know they must evolve. And that evolution, as Jamie Carragher suggests, could come with a few shocks along the way. Carragher Warns of Surprise Exits in the Transfer Window Jamie Carragher, who needs no introduction in red circles, believes that Liverpool may yet spring a surprise or two in the transfer market. Speaking on The Overlap's Fan Debate, the former defender speculated that unexpected departures could be part of the club's summer strategy. 'But in terms of those getting linked, I'm like, no, you wouldn't want to sell those, but they're probably thinking, but if someone offers enough money, oh, we will do it,' Carragher remarked. Photo: IMAGO It's not just about trimming the edges — it's about difficult decisions that keep the squad lean and competitive. Despite winning the league, Liverpool fell short in the Champions League, losing to Paris Saint-Germain. That shortfall serves as a reminder that success in one competition doesn't guarantee supremacy elsewhere. Slot, therefore, will need a squad built not just for English battles but for Europe's elite stage too. Players Facing Uncertain Futures Under Slot There are already signs of a changing hierarchy under Arne Slot. Players who were once seen as central under Jurgen Klopp now find themselves on the fringes. Advertisement Harvey Elliott is a prime example. Once a favourite of Klopp, Elliott has found minutes harder to come by under Slot, who appears to favour Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield. The 21-year-old's cryptic message following Liverpool's 3-2 defeat to Brighton only added fuel to speculation about his future. Then there's Jarell Quansah. The young defender made 25 appearances this season but started just 13 matches. With interest from Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, his situation is one to watch closely. Photo: IMAGO Even Joe Gomez has been preferred at centre-back when Ibrahima Konaté or Virgil van Dijk were unavailable, leaving Quansah in a supporting role. Advertisement Luis Díaz, who has been one of Liverpool's top scorers this season, is another name persistently linked with a move. Although he's stopped short of confirming anything, recent social media activity has resembled a farewell — or at least a pause for thought. Building for the Future: Incomings and Outgoings There's no suggestion that Liverpool are in panic mode. Quite the opposite — this is about calculated risk and long-term planning. Reports suggest that the club are closing in on deals for Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez. The former could bring creativity and dynamism in midfield, while the latter would strengthen the left side of defence. However, both would command significant fees, meaning departures are inevitable. Advertisement Carragher put it aptly: 'I think the club will be like that now in terms of, they wouldn't allow, cause Arne Slot's the head coach, the first head coach in Liverpool's history. 'They're never gonna allow, even though he's won the league in his first season, I don't think they're gonna allow what happened with Jürgen Klopp, where it became, he was making these bigger decisions and he's a god, everyone loves him.' Slot may have won the league, but Liverpool's structure is changing. There will be no unchecked power, no manager-as-king. Instead, decisions will be more corporate, more collaborative. And that may lead to outcomes fans don't always expect — including the sale of fan favourites.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
I tapped up Wayne Rooney to sign for Man United after special Sir Alex Ferguson request
Paul Scholes has revealed he 'tapped up' Wayne Rooney and convinced him to leave Everton and join Manchester United. Back in 2004, Rooney, who was aged just 18 at the time, swapped Merseyside for Manchester after bursting onto the scene in the Premier League. Rooney scored 17 goals in 77 senior appearances for the Toffees before it became evident that his long-term future was elsewhere. After rejecting a significant offer from Newcastle United, Everton accepted a bid in the region of £20million plus add-ons from United. His move to Old Trafford came after Rooney handed in a transfer request and it was clear that he wanted to force through a switch to Manchester. Now, ex-United midfielder Scholes has admitted he played a helping hand in convincing Rooney to join the club. READ MORE: Man United PSR position explained as Paul Scholes confused over two possible transfers READ MORE: Why Ineos are set to make even more redundancies at Manchester United When speaking about 'tapping up' players on The Overlap's Fan Debate, Scholes said: "Tapping up happens all the time. I never [got tapped up]! But it happens all the time. You're negotiating, the manager, well, I'm pretty sure Sir Alex would have done it. I'm pretty sure he would have done. "He'll ring the player, they'd get everything agreed with the agent and this is even before they speak to the club. Then they'll go to the club, sort his wages, appearances money, bonus money - whatever it is - then you go to the club and they'll say 'right, you can speak to the player now'. It's already done, that's just the way of doing it. "I tapped Wayne Rooney up! I did get asked to make a phone call to him at his house. I rang him." Jamie Carragher replied: "How did that go?" Scholes continued: "Well, he signed for us! But I didn't get any f***ing reward for it though!" Rooney's move to United turned out to be one of the best pieces of business Sir Alex Ferguson did, with the boyhood Everton fan turning into a legend at Old Trafford. Rooney is the club's leading scorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances, overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton in January 2017. He won the Premier League five times, the Champions League once, the FA Cup once and the League Cup on three occasions during his time at United. Rooney left Manchester in summer 2017 to return to Everton.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jamie Carragher suggests surprise transfer alternative to Liverpool player he's 'not a fan of'
Jamie Carragher thinks he may have spotted a potential transfer alternative for Liverpool in West Ham's Lucas Paqueta. The former Reds defender though concedes he might not be a player Arne Slot will be keen on. Paqueta is no stranger to being linked with a move to one of the Premier League's top clubs, having been close to a move to Manchester City in 2023 before an FA investigation was launched into allegations of breaches of betting rules. The Brazilian though hasn't really been touted as an option for Liverpool in the past. That hasn't stopped him from impressing Carragher though, with the Reds legend suggesting he could prove to be a surprise transfer option for Slot. READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister sends classy message as Man Utd dealt devastating injury blow READ MORE: Arne Slot explains Liverpool transfer stance and what he wants from ideal number nine Speaking during The Overlap's Fan Debate, Carragher said: 'I was commentating on West Ham – I'm just watching Paqueta thinking 'oh my'. 'Every time he brought the ball down on his chest or on his shoulder, he was like a little bit of a throwback, where I was actually thinking – would Liverpool sign him?' Carragher though did concede there might be an issue that prevents Paqueta from becoming a serious option for the Reds during the summer transfer window. 'I look at his lack of athleticism, and think 'would that stop a top team [signing him]',' Carragher added. 'I think of Liverpool, [and] I was actually thinking, Slot would probably prefer [Dominik] Szoboszlai than maybe a Paqueta.' Carragher's comments come after he admitted to not being wholly impressed with Szoboszlai since the Hungarian made the move to Anfield. Although the 24-year-old has managed to make himself a regular in Slot's side, Carragher remains unconvinced. 'I'm not Dominik Szoboszlai's biggest fan, but he's got great athleticism,' Carragher told Sky Sports' Monday Night Football. 'He gets talked about as Liverpool's no.10 and people say he's great off the ball, but he's a no.10 and only scored three goals.' says: Liverpool could probably do with Szoboszlai adding more goals to his game. The Reds can't rely on Mohamed Salah forever, especially if he's to leave this summer, and the goals will need to be shared out more once the Egyptian does depart. Paqueta is undoubtedly a good player - you don't get interest from City unless you are - but as Carragher points out, would he really work at Liverpool? As much as the former defender isn't convinced by Szoboszlai, the Hungarian is perfect for the way the Reds play, so we wouldn't be looking for a way to replace him.
