Liverpool FC news recap: Salah, Van Dijk and Jones return home, Matip begins coaching career

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Anfield Watch

·12 October 2024

Liverpool FC news recap: Salah, Van Dijk and Jones return home, Matip begins coaching career

Here's all your latest Liverpool FC news for Saturday October 12 as Jurgen Klopp is slammed for his Red Bull move and Steve Nicol backs Trent Alexander-Arnold to leave.

Mo Salah and Van Dijk to return home

Liverpool are in a crunch period of their season amidst a congested fixture list where the opponents' difficulty is only getting harder.

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Both captain Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have been at the heart of Liverpool's successful start to the season so far.

And after van Dijk requested to return home after being given a one-match suspension following his two yellow cards against Hungary, with Salah requesting the same in favour of playing on artificial turf against Mauritania, both players will have a week's rest ahead of the club's Premier League return against Chelsea next week.

Curtis Jones withdraws from England camp

Curtis Jones

Upon being called up to Lee Carsely's England squad Jones has had to withdraw after the first game.

Jones, 23, is still waiting for his national team career to really get going having starred under Carsley for the under-21s previously.

While the Liverpool midfielder is not injured, his partner Saffie Khan is due to give birth any day now, so Jones is on paternity leave.

Jurgen Klopp SLAMMED for Red Bull move

Jurgen Klopp’s decision to become Red Bull’s Global Head of Soccer has proven controversial at the very least.

Reports suggest that Klopp will be pocketing an eye-watering €10m-12m per year for the role, and fans of Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool have been left feeling betrayed.

Speaking on his podcast Viertelstunde Fußball, former Borussia Dortmund player and Liverpool-linked Kevin Grosskreutz has been incredibly critical of Klopp’s decision.

"I woke up, I had 30 messages on my phone and I thought: What happened? I thought I was dreaming, then I hoped it was fake news," the World Cup winner said, “Two hours later it was official. It was pretty shocking and sad. Somehow it hasn't really sunk in yet."

Liverpool legend urges club to cash in on Trent

Trent-Alexander-Arnold's contract situation is at the forefront of everyone's minds.

At 26, the Scouse talent is one of a kind and if negotiations aren't successful by January 1 then clubs will be formally allowed to approach him about his future.

The majority of fans and pundits feel it would be reckless if Liverpool failed to tie Trent down on a long-term contract.

However former Liverpool player Steve Nicol has claimed that the club should be open to the possibility of letting the right-back leave in January if the right offer came in.

Matip to enter coaching role after retirement announced

Premier League Manchester City v Liverpool Joel Matip 32 of Liverpool during the Premier League match Manchester City vs Liverpool at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom, 25th November 2023 Photo by Conor Molloy/News Images Manchester Etihad Stadium Manchester United, ManU Kingdom Copyright: xConorxMolloy/NewsxImagesx

The news of Joel Matip’s retirement spread like wildfire yesterday, despite no real fanfare or deal made out of it by the player himself.

After suffering an ACL injury in December last year, the centre-back’s contract was not renewed and he left Liverpool in the summer.

While no further moves had been announced, it turns out that he was already coaching his son’s youth side at the German outfit SSV Buer.

Ruhr Nachrichten reports that the prestigious Buer academy had to freeze admissions due to the level of demand, meaning that offering to coach was the only manner by which Matip’s son was given a place in the academy.

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