Take a close-up look at Liverpool's opening training session in Marbella with our exclusive footage – available now on LFCTV GO.

Liverpool have made great strides in defence this season, but question marks remain over whether there is a need to strengthen at centre-back this summer.

With the campaign nearing its end and the transfer window already open, thoughts and speculation have shifted to what the powers that be will have in store over the summer.

On the defensive front the Reds are expected to secure a deputy for Andy Robertson with Alberto Moreno set to depart, but it begs the question of if it is the only position at the back which needs reinforcing.

Reports had suggested Liverpool were keeping tabs on prospective players to add at centre-back, most notably Ajax skipper Matthijs de Ligt.

But on Monday it was claimed that Jurgen Klopp is content with his options at the heart of defence, raising a number of questions over the manager’s plans this summer.

Joanna Durkan (@JoannaDurkan_) spoke to Samuel Cox (@samueljessecox), Jonathan Higgins (@Jhiggins3) and Jack Lusby (@jacklusby_) to hear their thoughts on the centre-back situation and where other possible additions could be made.

Is it the right decision from Klopp to forgo plans for a new centre-back?

SAMUEL: Generally speaking, if Klopp is happy I am happy.

Liverpool had the best defensive record in the league this season, with Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren having proved capable partners (at different stages of the season) to Virgil van Dijk after Joe Gomez went down with injury.

Gomez in his best form is the most athletic and has scary potential to develop into while alongside Van Dijk, and Matip has come on strong in the second half of the season.

Overall, I do not see this area of the team as a top-line priority unless Lovren or Matip leave.

JONATHAN: On De Ligt specifically, his performances for Ajax have grabbed the attention of the entire football world this season.

That, combined with his nationality, got everyone excited about a potential orange wall in front of the Liverpool goal.

While he undoubtedly would have been a big addition to the squad, I’m not convinced we could justify the inflated price he will demand.

I’m also not convinced it’s an area of the pitch we need to invest heavily in, with Gomez returning it is a chance to restore the partnership that got rave reviews at the start of the season.

JOANNA: I’ve long been of mind that we need to add another quality player in the heart of defence, so I’m struggling to see why we won’t enter the market for one if the opportunity arises.

Although Gomez can’t be seen as injury prone such are the manner of injuries he’s picked up, his regular absence from the side—and Matip and Lovren’s recent history of failing to string together a large chunk of games—leaves us a long-term Van Dijk injury away from potential disaster.

There’s no doubt Matip and Gomez have the calibre to thrive alongside the Dutchman, but it’s simply the need for another quality addition who is consistently available which does it for me.

JACK: I’m in two minds, as while I’ve previously maintained that Liverpool have one world-class centre-back and three injury-prone partners (harshly in Gomez’s case, as Joanna notes), things changed for Matip in 2019.

With very few fitness issues he played the full 90 minutes in 14 of the last 16 games in the league, and only missed the other two as he was rested for the Champions League.

This allowed him to showcase his ability alongside Van Dijk, which in turn relieved the pressure on Gomez as he works his way back.

However, the concern remains over the durability and consistency of Lovren, so there is a case to sign another fourth-choice centre-back…

Should Liverpool be looking to cash in on Lovren while he still has value?

SAMUEL: Lovren is one of those figures who has divided fans during his whole time at Liverpool, but I see the situation as more complex.

Lovren has, when fit and healthy, invariably played to a reasonably high level, at times even proved inspirational.

But more importantly, he appears to be a crucial team player, as best friends with Mohamed Salah and, for example, being the first player from the sidelines to celebrate following Divock Origi’s winner against Barcelona.

For this reason, he might actually be the perfect third- or fourth-choice centre-back; a content backup who enhances the collective.

JONATHAN: He still has his high-profile critics and while I wouldn’t necessarily have him as first choice, I personally think he’s still a very useful member of the squad.

He’s particularly adept at marking a slower, more physical centre-forward and over the course of the season we have numerous battles with players like this, particularly against teams in the lower half of the table, and this is where Lovren can prove his worth.

The only big concern I would have is his injury record this season, but you would hope that those issues will be resolved after a proper pre-season under his belt.

JOANNA: If he is adequately replaced, then absolutely.

He’s fourth in the pecking order, appears to have lost any semblance of pace and it’s hard to see him as an integral part of the team moving forward.

It’s unfortunate his time at the club never hit the heights many had tipped him for, but with two-years remaining on his contract I feel it’s time for Michael Edwards to work his magic.

JACK: There’s definitely an argument for getting rid, particularly if Liverpool can recoup or improve on the £20 million paid in 2014.

I’m not his biggest fan by a stretch, and he’s on a huge contract for a fourth-choice backup.

With Gomez best suited at centre-back, is there a need to invest in cover at right-back?

SAMUEL: Realistically, right-back and left-back are positions where more cover is needed.

Gomez can play on the right but the disparity between Trent Alexander-Arnold and himself has never been greater.

I thought Ki-Jana Hoever actually looked phenomenally cool, calm and collected for his age in his sole appearance.

At his current age his build and pace may suit the full-back slot, perhaps his path to the first team lies via an apprenticeship on the flanks.

JONATHAN: I really can’t see us signing a right-back this summer.

Despite the likely departure of Nathaniel Clyne there is still enough cover with Trent and Gomez—which offers us a defensive and attacking full-back to suit the occasion.

Personally, I think next in line will be Hoever, he excelled for the Netherlands in the recent U17 Euro victory with some eye-catching runs from the right flank.

JOANNA: For me, Gomez should play exclusively as a centre-back next season—he’s just not cut out for life on the right flank in Klopp’s system.

Thus, it ensures cover for Trent next term is definitely required.

But like Sam and Jonathan said, I would be tempted to use the position to introduce Hoever into the first team with more regularity.

A more experienced head wouldn’t go amiss during the times Trent needs rotating, though.

JACK: It’s easy to forget how leggy both Trent and Robbo looked at times this season, and more competition for the No. 66 would be wise.

I’m unsure where that could come from, be that a more experienced signing, promoting from within or continued faith in Gomez on occasion, but it’s an area worth looking at.

Is the expectation on Hoever negating the need for a new centre-back?

SAMUEL: In Van Dijk and Gomez, Liverpool have a partnership that can go on for many years yet, while Lovren is not yet 30 and Matip is 27.

Given the fact a centre-back’s best years usually last into their 30s, there is probably quite rightfully an attitude of if it isn’t broken, why fix it?

And if someone like Hoever emerges in the meantime all the better for the club.

In fact given the Reds conceded the fewest goals (22) and kept the most clean sheets (21) in the league this season, some of those teams with leakier defences might be wondering if we are mad for even thinking about adding another.

JONATHAN: I do believe this is a factor in the decision to opt away from the star buy of De Ligt.

Klopp has regularly shown he likes to self-build his squad with additions from the academy, so I expect Hoever to get more first-team minutes under his belt next season.

While promising defender Conor Masterson has departed the club, Nat Philips and FA Youth Cup winner Rhys Williams are also potential long-term options.

JOANNA: This could very well be the case, and for me it in part goes hand in hand with the view of Gomez’s future.

If the club feel that Hoever has all the markers of a quality defender then they’d be hesitant to stunt his development by pushing him further down the pecking order.

His debut at Wolves showed he has all the makings of becoming a special player and I wouldn’t be surprised if Klopp has earmarked him as the next cab off the rank—as he has seemingly done for Rhian Brewster at the other end of the field.

JACK: I’m a huge fan of Hoever and think he has everything required to become a first-team player at Liverpool.

He’s conceded himself a regular senior role is a few years off, but Klopp seemed convinced with him earlier in the season and as Samuel and Joanna have mentioned he was impressive against Wolves.

Next season could be a big one for him.

It likely won’t be in the first team just yet, but if he gets in the gym as much as possible he could give himself a great opportunity in the near future.

And with Lloyd Kelly now at Bournemouth, which versatile left-back do you think the Reds could now turn to?

SAMUEL: The recruitment team picked a rabbit out of the hat with Robbo, while the academy produced one of the finest talents in Europe in Trent, to solve our previous full-back dilemma.

The extreme rigours and attacking skill required in that position within Klopp’s game plan suggest a younger player who can be moulded is required.

Hopefully they find another underrated gem with plenty of unexploited potential but as a left-field pick (literally), how about Ryan Sessegnon?

Should he have the required work ethic, he could be a dream signing as he could be a versatile option at either full-back or as a pacy wide attacker.

JONATHAN: I’m going to a little different with this one.

Following on from what I was saying earlier, I would love Adam Lewis to be drafted into the first-team squad.

He has been very impressive for the U23s and has an absolute wand of a left foot.

Training with the best left-back in the world day in and day out can only help his development.

JOANNA: Borussia Monchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi is one who could fill the void.

Although a centre-back by trade, Elvedi is one who can float across the back four and at just 22 he fits the bill for the type of investment the club likes to make.

However, the question would be if he can be moulded into a player who is as influential in attack as he is in defence, and so I would agree with Jonathan in the fact that maybe a recruit from the academy could also work nicely.

JACK: I agree with the academy route for Robbo’s backup, and Lewis is clearly next in line.

He was particularly strong in the first half of the season with the U23s and U19s, has already trained with the first team on a number of occasions and, like Trent, is a local lad and boyhood Red.

Beyond Lewis, though, there is also Yasser Larouci, who was brilliant throughout the campaign for the U18s.

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Liverpool conducted their first training session of a six-day stay in Marbella on Tuesday morning - and our photographer was there to provide a behind-the-scenes gallery.

Sadio Mane feels Liverpool have arrived in Marbella for a six-day training camp ahead of the Champions League final collectively ‘feeling good and positive’ as preparations continue for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur on June 1.

Youngsters from two local schools represented LFC Foundation at the Premier League Primary Stars Football Tournament finals on Tuesday.

Pupils from Our Lady’s Bishop Eton and Mosspits Lane primary schools headed to Wolverhampton Wanderers Molineux Stadium to compete in the U11 mixed and U11 girls national finals alongside teams representing the other 19 Premier League clubs.

Both schools played some great football in the group stages, with Our Lady’s Bishop Eton's girls team making it to the final where they were crowned runners-up after a tense penalty shoot-out.

David McParland, LFC Foundation project lead, said: "This has been a fantastic experience for our pupils and they should be really proud of themselves.

"They have worked incredibly hard to reach the finals and have been rewarded with this once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the life of a Premier League footballer for the day.

"Playing in the new Reds' kit at a professional club’s stadium under the watchful eye of Premier League match officials has been unbelievable for the youngsters and it’s something they’ll remember forever."

The Premier League Primary Stars Football Tournament is now in its fourteenth year and has seen over 14,500 children from more than 1,600 schools participate to date.

As part of the annual competition, each Premier League club hosts regional qualifiers with the winners progressing to represent their local team in the national finals.

Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

The programme is available to every primary school in England and Wales, and LFC Foundation coaches deliver fun, educational sessions in 26 schools across the Merseyside area.

For more information on LFC Foundation’s Premier League Primary Stars programme, click here.

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Youngsters from two local schools represented LFC Foundation at the Premier League Primary Stars Football Tournament finals on Tuesday.

We round up the latest Liverpool news and transfer rumours on Tuesday, as the Reds begin their pre-Champions League final training camp in Marbella.

Today’s Main Headlines Origi a Barcelona Target?

Divock Origi has enjoyed an unlikely change in fortunes at Liverpool, scoring big goals this season and reportedly being on the verge of earning a new deal.

A report in Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness, claims that the Belgian is on Barcelona’s radar this summer, having knocked them out of the Champions League with his double in the semi-final second leg.

The Liga champions are looking for backups in attack to aid former Liverpool favourite Luis Suarez.

Origi and Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente are seen an options to bring in and it remains to be seen if the Reds striker’s head will be turned.

Trent Set to Make History Again

Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s rise from young hopeful to one of the best attacking right-backs in Europe has been astonishing over the past two years.

The 20-year-old has just secured the record number of assists (12) by a defender in a Premier League season, as he continues to go from strength to strength.

Alexander-Arnold is now on the verge of another piece of history, as Liverpool prepare to face Spurs in the Champions League final.

Should he start in Madrid, the boyhood Reds supporter will become the first player ever to start two finals in the competition before the age of 21.

It is further proof of what a special talent Alexander-Arnold is, and it would be a big surprise if he wasn’t named in Jurgen Klopp‘s starting XI at the Wanda Metropolitano.

How Hendo Almost Missed Origi’s Winner

Origi’s memorable winner against Barcelona earlier the month is one of the most dramatic Anfield goals in history, sending Liverpool into the Champions League final.

Someone who almost missed the goal because of Alexander-Arnold’s quick thinking from a corner was Jordan Henderson.

Speaking to UEFA, the skipper admitted it was a moment that caught him off guard, like so many in the ground:

“I think I was sort of talking to someone and organising something, just protection for the corner.

“I’d turned around, I’d seen the ball flying into the back of the net. I didn’t really know what had happened.

“It was an amazing goal to score in a game of that magnitude.

“It was fantastic for a young player to have the awareness to be able to do that and put in the ball and obviously for Divock to react to that.

“It was a great finish in the end. So yes, it was an amazing goal in the end and that summed up the night really.

“It was an amazing night. It was a special night that people will be talking about for a long time.”

Reds to Sign Teenage Goalkeeper

Liverpool are on the verge of signing Legia Warsaw goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski, according to Legia.net.

The report claims the 16-year-old is “one step away” from joining the Reds, having been scouted by a number of big clubs including Man United.

It is assumed that Ojrzynski would go straight into Liverpool’s academy in Kirkby if he signs, hopefully rising through the age groups in the coming years.

He would follow another Polish stopper to Merseyside, with Kamil Grabara having joined from Ruch Chorzow in 2016.

Trio Receive International Callup

Simon Mignolet and Origi have been named in Belgium’s squad for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Kazakhstan (June 8) and Scotland (June 11) next month.

The latter fixture will likely see the pair pitted against Liverpool team-mate Andy Robertson, who is expected to captain Scotland once again.

Mignolet is expected to be backup to Thibaut Courtois, as he has grown accustomed to in recent years.

Origi hope will feature after his good form of late, though, especially with Romelu Lukaku struggling for top form at Man United.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah has been named in Egypt’s 25-man provisional squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Liverpool are weighing up a move for Werder Bremen striker Max Kruse but will face competition from Bayern Munich, according to reports in Germany.

The 31-year-old has enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Bundesliga, scoring 11 goals and registering nine assists for Werder who finished 8th in the table and he will be available on a free transfer this summer once his contract has expired.

That news has alerted Jurgen Klopp who is keen to reinforce his attacking options ahead of next season.

As well as establishing himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most efficient finishers with 71 goals over the last seven seasons, Kruse’s creativity and pressing qualities would suit Liverpool’s style of play.

Kruse, who has been capped 14 times by Germany since his debut in 2013, also has admirers in the shape of Bayern Munich who are seeking an alternative to Robert Lewandowski in attack following the departure of Sandro Wagner to Tianjin Teda in January.

Source: Metro

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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Liverpool are weighing up a move for Werder Bremen striker Max Kruse but will face competition from Bayern Munich, according to reports in Germany.

The 31-year-old has enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Bundesliga, scoring 11 goals and registering nine assists for Werder who finished 8th in the table and he will be available on a free transfer this summer once his contract has expired.

That news has alerted Jurgen Klopp who is keen to reinforce his attacking options ahead of next season.

As well as establishing himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most efficient finishers with 71 goals over the last seven seasons, Kruse’s creativity and pressing qualities would suit Liverpool’s style of play.

Kruse, who has been capped 14 times by Germany since his debut in 2013, also has admirers in the shape of Bayern Munich who are seeking an alternative to Robert Lewandowski in attack following the departure of Sandro Wagner to Tianjin Teda in January.

Source: Metro

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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Liverpool are weighing up a move for Werder Bremen striker Max Kruse but will face competition from Bayern Munich, according to reports in Germany.

Forward Roberto Firmino has given Liverpool a Champions League final boost by returning to training.

The Brazil international has missed the last three matches with a thigh problem but was able to take part in the first session of the squad’s pre-final camp in Marbella.

Firmino was the first player to arrive on the south coast of Spain having attended slightly earlier than his team-mates for some individual sessions with strength and rehabilitation staff.

Liverpool said his reintroduction into full team training “will be carefully managed under their supervision, with specialised programmes planned over the coming days.”

The 26-man squad is spending six days in Marbella before returning to England to finalise preparations for their June 1 meeting with Tottenham in Madrid.

Included in that group is Naby Keita, who continues his rehabilitation from a serious groin problem suffered almost three weeks ago and is not in contention for the final.

Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has the chance to set a new record if he is selected in the XI to face Tottenham in Madrid.

Should that happen the 20-year-old will become the first player aged under 21 to start consecutive finals in Europe’s premier club competition.

The previous youngest was AC Milan’s Christian Panucci with AC Milan in 1994 and 1995.

More: Champions League Final 2019, Injuries, Roberto Firmino, Training

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Roberto Firmino today trained alongside his teammates following a muscle strain that ruled him out of Liverpool’s last three matches.

The Brazilian took part in the Reds’ first session of their Marbella training camp on Tuesday morning as he works his way back to full fitness.

Firmino has been working with the club’s medical staff on his rehabilitation from the issue and his reintroduction into full team training will be carefully managed under their supervision, with specialised programmes planned over the coming days.

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Roberto Firmino today trained alongside his teammates following a muscle strain that ruled him out of Liverpool’s last three matches.

Jordan Henderson was busy taking precautions to thwart a Barcelona counter-attack when Divock Origi scored the goal that put Liverpool in the Champions League final once again.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's quick thinking from a corner caught the visitors off guard as Origi converted to put the Reds 4-0 ahead in the second leg of the semi-final.

So what was the captain's view of the moment Anfield's greatest ever European comeback was completed?

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"I think I was sort of talking to someone and organising something, just protection for the corner," Henderson told UEFA.

"I'd turned around, I'd seen the ball flying into the back of the net. I didn't really know what had happened.

"It was an amazing goal to score in a game of that magnitude. It was fantastic for a young player to have the awareness to be able to do that and put in the ball and obviously for Divock to react to that.

"It was a great finish in the end. So yes, it was an amazing goal in the end and that summed up the night really.

"It was an amazing night. It was a special night that people will be talking about for a long time."

The 4-3 aggregate victory over the La Liga champions booked Liverpool's spot in the final of Europe's premier club competition for the second successive year.

A meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on June 1 now awaits Jürgen Klopp's men, who are looking to secure the club its sixth European Cup.

"It means everything," Henderson added. "For the club, for the fans, for everybody involved, but most importantly for the players.

"Not many people would have thought [it was possible] at the start of the season - especially at the end of last season, it was a difficult end.

"We all know how good Spurs are - great players and on the day, they can beat anybody really. So it'll be a really tough final. So we need to be ready."

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Jordan Henderson was busy taking precautions to thwart a Barcelona counter-attack when Divock Origi scored the goal that put Liverpool in the Champions League final once again.

Jurgen Klopp has given his advice for young players breaking through, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kylian Mbappe his examples of the perfect mentality.

Klopp has been consistent in his stance that ability is more important than age, with an open door for youth to break into his first team.

Alexander-Arnold has clearly found the most success with this at Liverpool, with the 20-year-old set to play in his second Champions League final in June and pass the 100-game mark next season.

The manager has also looked to bring the best young players into the club, with the Reds among the sides actively pursuing Mbappe before he made his £166 million move from Monaco to PSG in 2017.

Those operating in the club’s academy may do so on a more modest level than the France striker, but Klopp is blessed with a host of talents at his disposal at Kirkby.

Speaking to Unisport, the 51-year-old explained what is required for youngsters to make it at a club like Liverpool.

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“I saw in the last couple of years a lot of talented boys,” he said.

“It’s unbelievable how early it starts, 14, 15, 16, you see them already.

“The boys I see, they all have talent. I don’t see all of them [at the academy], I only see the icing of the cake.

“You ask me what a player needs to have when he’s young: talent, and an obvious football character. You can see that easily. How he is involved in the game and all that stuff.

“When you are ‘strange’ at 16, it’s pretty likely you are much more strange when you are 25.

“So here, not nice and humble, just a normal football player with extraordinary skills.

“For example I saw Kylian Mbappe when he was 16, everybody knew: ‘Yeah, wow, that will be absolutely amazing’.

“He’s a nice kid and a world-class player, so he’s a good example for that generation.”

Klopp went on the detail how every young player needs to have a defining attribute, which could even be a “long throw-in,” but added that there is “not one special thing” he looks for.

And the manager stressed the importance of “patience” in dealing with setbacks in their rise, and how expectations are created from the outside that can be undermined by “nature” slowing their development.

This can arguably be seen with Ben Woodburn, who broke through to considerable scrutiny at Liverpool but has struggled to impose himself over the past two seasons.

“We try to be different in that way, we try to give our boys the time,” he continued.

“But sometimes the boys don’t want to have that much time and want to already be a bit earlier somewhere else, and you cannot change that.

“Trent Alexander-Arnold is the perfect example, perfect. From day one he did everything like he should have done.

“By being himself, not by listening to us, ‘what do I have to do’, no it was clear for him: ‘I have to learn, so I will learn, do my very best and there will come the day when I play’.

“Today, when he’s not playing, he’s not looking at me thinking ‘why not?’.

“He knows I thought about it, so he doesn’t have to think about it: he doesn’t play because he plays the next game or whatever.

“That’s pretty smart from him, to be honest.”

Klopp concluded that “to have a long career you have to be a serious person,” which highlights the fine margins between being a talented young player and one able to establish himself at Liverpool.

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A 26-man Liverpool squad arrived in Marbella on Monday afternoon, as they continue their preparations for the Champions League final against Tottenham.

The Reds take on Spurs in Madrid on June 1, almost three weeks after the final game of their Premier League campaign, which gives plenty of time to renew their focus.

Klopp allowed his players a much-needed week off following the 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield, before reconvening for the first of their media obligations at Melwood.

Liverpool then confirmed the 26 to depart for Spain for the rest of the week, with Naby Keita among those included despite still recovering from an adductor injury which likely rules him out for the final.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also made the flight after returning from a minor setback to come off the bench in the domestic closer, and documented the trip on Instagram.

Behind his seat, the midfielder caught Mohamed Salah sleeping on the floor of the plane, much to the amusement of Rhian Brewster, Gini Wijnaldum and Virgil van Dijk—but not so much Dejan Lovren:

You alright there, Mo Salah? ?

(via alexoxchamberlain/instagram) pic.twitter.com/tnJDWU415v

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) 20 May 2019

Salah had clearly recovered by the time the flight arrived on the Costa del Sol, as the club released a video package of Klopp and his players heading into the hotel.

The entirety of the first-team squad are in Marbella, along with a host of youngsters including Caoimhin Kelleher, Ben Woodburn and Curtis Jones.

Van Dijk took inspiration from Conor McGregor as he walked past the cameras alongside Joe Gomez, with this trip to Spain as much about the morale of the squad as it is warm-weather training:

Oxlade-Chamberlain wrote that he is “looking forward to a good week’s training and continuing the preparations for the big one” as he was pictured arriving with Wijnaldum:

James Milner is “ready for some hard work” as he gears up for another major final in a long and decorated career, while Salah simply shared a photo of his arrival:

Wijnaldum opted for a photo from Liverpool’s Champions League roll call earlier in the day, writing that he is “looking forward to a week of hard training” before doing “everything we can to cap off this season with the trophy it deserves”:

The Reds are in a great position to bring home No. 6, after a phenomenal campaign that saw them record their best-ever points tally in the league and only finish one behind champions Man City.

This week could prove crucial as Klopp plots to overturn Spurs and win his first piece of silverware as Liverpool manager.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold will make history should he start the Champions League final.

If selected in Liverpool’s XI in Madrid, the right-back would become the first ever player aged under 21 to start consecutive finals in Europe’s premier club competition.

The previous youngest to do so was Christian Panucci with AC Milan in 1994 and 1995. The former Italy international was 22 while playing in the latter showpiece versus AFC Ajax.

Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, does not turn 21 until October.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold will make history should he start the Champions League final.

Liverpool and Tottenham have both been linked with a summer move for Bayer Leverkusen star Julian Brandt.

The 23-year-old winger has enjoyed a superb second half of the season, bagging 10 goals and 17 assists - prompting the Champions League finalists to prepare for a transfer battle.

But Brandt's stunning form could have cost the Premier League sides as he fired Leverkusen into the Champions League with a 5-1 win over Hertha Berlin on the final day of the Bundesliga campaign.

Leverkusen head coach Peter Bosz has now sent a clear message to both interested parties - that he believes Champions League football will be enough to convince both Brandt and Bayern Munich target Kai Havertz to stay with the club.

"Yes, it's a better chance [of Leverkusen keeping both players]," Bosz told Bayer 04 TV.

"I don't know. Kai will stay, for sure. And Julian, I hope he will stay. Every player wants to play at the highest level and we have the chance next season to play at the highest level.

"We're looking forward to it. Not only in the Champions League but also the Bundesliga.

"Our goal will be to be better than this season and therefore we have to work harder than this season and be more clear about how we want to play. It's a big achievement."

Sporting director Rudi Voller recently confirmed the club have had several approaches for Brandt's services as he expects a decision soon.

“We know exactly which clubs have knocked [for Brandt],” the former Germany coach told Sky.

“Brandt has some requests, and in the next five, six or seven days there will be a decision.”

Source: Daily Mirror

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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