A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as Jude Bellingham messages Curtis Jones following his England debut and Wataru Endo delivers his verdict about Arne Slot.
Liverpool ‘carefully’ monitoring Mohammed Kudus in view of an £85m transfer
West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus is now attracting serious interest from Arsenal and Liverpool in view of a potential transfer. The 24-year-old has been one of very few silver linings for the Hammers in a largely disappointing start to the season and may leave in 2025.
That is according to the Daily Mail, which reports West Ham will hold firm in wanting Kudus’ £85m release clause paid in full. Many elite Premier League squads are eying the Ghana ace as the clause re-activates next summer, and he is open to joining a Champions League team.
Kudus has kept a raft of top-tier suitors so far this season after scoring two goals in his eight top-flight games. He missed West Ham’s three fixtures before the international break due to suspension for a red card against Tottenham Hotspur, and will miss another two games, too.
Read more about Liverpool’s interest in Kudus’ possible transfer from West Ham, here.
Wataru Endo admits Arne Slot’s tactics are more restrictive than Jurgen Klopp’s
Wataru Endo has endured a frustrating start to the season after falling in Liverpool’s pecking order following the arrival of Arne Slot to replace Jurgen Klopp. The 31-year-old held a main role in the German’s squad last term, but has struggled to get minutes under the Dutchman.
Klopp started Endo in 20 of his 29 Premier League appearances from a possible 33 after the Japan international’s arrival from VfB Stuttgart, totalling 1,720 minutes. Yet Slot has only had Endo feature from the bench five times from 10 potential games so far, totalling 19 minutes.
Slot is also showing Endo that the latest Liverpool head coach enjoys more restrictive tactics compared to Klopp, along with his Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu. Endo feels Klopp’s style was more similar to what Moriyasu – who made the Liverpool star his captain in 2023 – favours.
“With regards to attacking, you could say Slot is more positional,” Endo noted, via The Japan Times. “He’s the kind of coach who’s very precise about where each individual player should be positioned.
“Moriyasu is more flexible and while he has a base, he gives the players the option to sometimes build as a four or sometimes as a three… Maybe that’s similar to the style of Klopp last year.”
Read more about what Endo said about his life at Liverpool with Slot at the helm, here.
Virgil van Dijk and Jude Bellingham react to Curtis Jones’ England debut
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones scored on his senior England debut to help the Three Lions beat Greece 3-0 this Thursday. His display at the Athens Olympic Stadium also drew positive reactions from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk plus Real Madrid superstar, Jude Bellingham.
Van Dijk and Bellingham were quick to respond on Instagram as Jones celebrated his ‘dream debut’ for England, in which he scored. The 23-year-old produced an audacious flick to find the back of the net and make it 3-0 in the 83rd minute from Morgan Gibbs-White’s delivery.
Jones produced a respectable goal tally for England’s Under-21s with five in 20 caps, as well as four assists. He also has 17 goals in 146 senior appearances at Liverpool, including one in 13 games this term. But starring for England saw Jones catch Van Dijk and Bellingham’s eye.
Liverpool captain Van Dijk simply commented ‘🔥😍’ in response to Jones’ post on Instagram and Real Madrid maestro Bellingham added ‘❤️❤️❤️’. Jones has shared a pitch with Van Dijk for 89 of his senior Liverpool appearances, and he has now appeared with Bellingham twice.
Read more about what Van Dijk and Bellingham shared after Jones’ England debut, here.
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