Liverpool have “lots of ideas” to honour Diogo Jota in the longer-term, but CEO Billy Hogan insists “it is early” and those will come “at the appropriate time.”

Jota’s tragic passing has understandably prompted an emotional response from those within the club and supporters around the world.

Thousands of tributes have been laid at sites outside both Anfield and Molineux, the home of the striker’s former club Wolves, with prominent figures from Liverpool paying their respects.

Among those to follow Arne Slot, Michael Edwards, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Jordan Henderson in laying flowers at Jota’s memorial along 97 Avenue was chief executive Hogan.

Speaking to the club’s official website after making his tribute on Wednesday, Hogan was asked about long-term plans to honour their former striker.

Many feel it is right to retire Jota’s No. 20 and there appears a recognition of that, though Liverpool will await “the appropriate time” to action any such proposals.

“It is early, it has obviously only been a few days. I think the most important thing in this process is that we want to make sure we are respecting the family,” Hogan explained.

“As a club, there’s been lots of ideas and certainly within the supporter base lots of ideas.

“That’s something we’ll take forward with the family and we want to have those conversations at the appropriate time.

“Obviously they have gone through an unimaginable situation over the course of the last several days.

“We certainly will, obviously, remember both Andre and Diogo and at the appropriate time we’ll make those plans clear.

“We’ve got the match on Sunday at Deepdale and we’ll of course remember them at that match.

“Then the tour, then we come back to Anfield and then the season starts, so we’re thinking about all of those moments.

“Of course, we want to make sure we do the right thing and appropriately remember both Andre and Diogo.”

The specifics of Liverpool and Preston’s tributes to Jota and his family – who also lost his brother Andre Silva in last week’s fatal car crash – on Sunday are as yet unknown.

But there will be a mindfulness towards those the brothers leave behind, including Jota’s new wife Rute and their three children.

“We’re going to do everything we possibly can to support each other and, most importantly, support Diogo and Andre’s family through this process,” Hogan continued.

At least three murals are in the works to honour Jota on streets around Anfield, with artists MurWalls already beginning their tribute with the help of fan messages at a site on Sybil Road, with a view of the Main Stand.

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Liverpool is one of several Premier League clubs being linked with a move for exciting young Parma defender Giovanni Leoni, who has been likened to Dean Huijsen.

The Reds are in the market for a new center-back in the summer transfer window, after Jarell Quansah completed his move to Bayer Leverkusen last week. Quansah's exit leaves Liverpool with just three senior center-backs in the squad, in Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate.

Van Dijk is tied to Liverpool until 2027 after signing a two-year extension towards the end of the season, but Konate's future is up in the air as his contract is due to expire next summer, and Gomez is coming off the back of a hamstring injury that ended his 2024-25 season in February.

The uncertainty in the center-back position will send Liverpool into the market this summer, and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi continues to be heavily linked with a move to Anfield.

Liverpool was heavily linked with Huijsen, prior to his move to Real Madrid, which came about after the Spanish giant triggered his release clause.

Instead, Liverpool has already made moves for defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, as well as the blockbuster move for Florian Wirtz.

But another defender who the Reds are being linked with, who could be one for the future, is 18-year-old Leoni, who made 17 appearances in Serie A last season.

Leoni only joined Parma from Sampdoria last year, but his promising performances for the Serie A side have prompted speculation that he could already be on his way to a bigger club.

Rousing the Kop reports that Leoni is "on Liverpool's radar," while TBR Football says Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle and Bournemouth are also keen on the teenager, as are Serie A sides Internazionale, AC Milan and Juventus.

Leoni has been likened to Dean Huijsen (Image: 2025 Visionhaus)

"They (Liverpool) have seen him and have been impressed by him,” Rousing the Kop journalist Graeme Bailey said.

“But he’s got an awful lot of interest. There’s a lot of Premier League clubs who like this boy an awful lot.”

“I spoke to a few Italian sources while doing work on Suzuki, the goalkeeper, and my contacts were saying ‘the one at Parma who’s really getting interest and could move is Leoni.’

"Clubs are looking at him as being a Huijsen-esque type defender, and Liverpool have watched him.

“I’m told that Parma want to keep him this summer. So whether he’s do-able, I’m not entirely convinced. From what I’m hearing he’s also not the sort of person who’d want to sit on the bench for a season, I think he’d rather stay at Parma for another year and play.”

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Jordan Henderson Faces Premier League Crossroads After Contract Termination Jordan Henderson’s time abroad has come to an abrupt end, and the former Liverpool captain now finds himself in limbo, awaiting his next move. As reported on The Daily Red podcast by Dave Hendrick, Henderson has terminated his contract and is now the subject of Premier […]

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Luis Diaz and Alisson were unable to attend Diogo Jota‘s funeral in his hometown of Gondomar, but the Liverpool duo were present at his seventh-day mass.

Diaz and Alisson were among those most notably absent from the Liverpool delegation at the funeral for Jota and his brother Andre Silva on Saturday.

The pair were unable to attend due to prior commitments, with the goalkeeper writing on Instagram “once again, an ocean separates me from ‘saying goodbye’ to someone I love” having also missed his father’s funeral in 2021.

But Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias report that both made their way to Gondomar on Wednesday for the brothers’ seventh-day mass.

They were able to pay their respects among a number of other figures from world football, including Jota’s former Portugal teammates Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Andre Horta and Joao Mario and agent Jorge Mendes.

Ruben Neves, considered one of Jota’s closest friends, was also in attendance having carried the 28-year-old’s coffin at the funeral.

The seventh-day mass came the day after players reported back to the AXA Training Centre for the start of Liverpool’s pre-season.

It is unknown if Alisson was among those in Kirkby for day one of testing, with it often the case that goalkeepers are run through early sessions separately, but Diaz travelled back to the UK from Colombia on Monday.

Cody Gakpo was among those to lay a tribute to Jota at his memorial along 97 Avenue outside Anfield’s Main Stand on Wednesday.

The Dutchman was at the late striker’s funeral and has joined the likes of Arne Slot, Andy Robertson and former captain Jordan Henderson in making a public gesture to their friend.

Liverpool will kick off their pre-season schedule with a friendly away to Preston on Sunday, with the two clubs agreeing for the warmup game to go ahead as planned after talks following Jota’s death.

Special tributes will be made to the No. 20 throughout the afternoon at Deepdale, which is due to be broadcast on ITV1 in the UK.

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Hugo Ekitike has been linked with a multitude of clubs during this summer's transfer window, and the latest is Newcastle United.

Reports suggest that Newcastle is "keen" on the 22-year-old, who scored 15 goals in 33 appearances in the Bundesliga last season. Considering the amount of clubs that have been linked with Ekitike, a lot will still need to happen for him to end up at St. James' Park, but if he does, that could spell good news for Liverpool regarding its interest in Alexander Isak.

Ekitike is a player not too dissimilar to Isak, and Newcastle's apparent interest in him could suggest that the Magpies are planning for life without Isak in the long term.

Isak would be Liverpool's dream striker signing, but Newcastle is under no pressure to sell him after addressing its PSR issues last year and also qualifying for the upcoming season's Champions League.

Liverpool signing Isak feels unlikely this summer — regardless of what happens with Ekitike — but if the Frenchman were to move to Newcastle, it could set the Reds up to do a deal for Isak down the line.

Frankfurt, meanwhile, looks to be planning for life without Ekitike, after signing Jonathan Burkardt from fellow Bundesliga outfit Mainz earlier this week.

Burkardt, 24, scored 19 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions for Mainz last season, with 18 of those strikes coming in the league, making him the fourth-highest scorer behind Harry Kane, Patrik Schick and Serhou Guirassy.

Transfer expert Ben Jacobs recently told Betway that Liverpool itself is among the clubs that are worth keeping an eye on with respect to a potential bid for Ekitike.

"Chelsea and Liverpool are the two in particular to watch," he said. "Arsenal are still focused on seeing if they can get either Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko over the line.

Alexander Isak would be Liverpool's dream striker signing (Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

"Manchester United simply don't have the finances or the desire to do Hugo Ekitike at €100 million ($117 million) and probably not at €80 million ($94 million) or €85 million ($100 million) if the actual valuation diminishes.

"Amidst all of the noise, Liverpool are just keeping quiet as they always do and moving discreetly. They're not getting sucked in now to any kind of offers or bidding war, and that's partially because they're still trying to understand if it’s worth having a punt at Alexander Isak.

"And once they get clarity on that in perhaps early or mid-July, they may have to move on to another target, and should they not get Isak, Liverpool are still the ones to watch for Hugo Ekitike, and my expectation is that they will be in the race for the Frankfurt striker if that asking price for €100 million drops."

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Bob Paisley: The Quiet Genius Behind Liverpool’s Greatest Era This is an abridged version; the full article is available free on our ‘It Was Always… Liverpool’ Substack page: From Boot Room to Brilliance Bob Paisley never set out to become a football legend. When Bill Shankly stepped down in 1974, the club turned to Paisley, […]

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Jeremie Frimpong was the first signing of Liverpool’s busy summer so far and as such his quality may go under the radar. So what can the new right-back provide?

With the help of our partners at FotMob, we look at what Jeremie Frimpong can offer to Liverpool.

Goals and assists

Frimpong’s data is naturally skewed as he largely played as an attacking wing-back under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, but he did so for good reason.

He scored five goals and assisted a further six in 33 games in last season’s Bundesliga, with striker Patrick Schick (22) and fellow Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz (23) the only Leverkusen players with more goal involvements.

No full-back managed more shots on target than Frimpong (16), who also ranked in the top five percent for overall shots (34).

Frimpong created 30 chances for teammates in the Bundesliga in 2024/25.

A danger in the final third

Along with his end product, Frimpong has proved a constant threat to opposition defenders in the final third, averaging:

• 0.97 successful dribbles per 90 minutes (top 14 percent)
• 4.53 touches in the opponent’s box per 90 (top one percent)
• 1.2 fouls won per 90 (top 13 percent)

Not only is the 24-year-old willing to drive at his marker time and time again, but he more often than not gets the better of them – even if it comes with a reputation as a foul magnet.

Will he be exploited in defence?

Concerns over Frimpong’s defensive ability are thought to be misplaced, with sources close to the Dutchman telling This Is Anfield he views himself as a natural right-back.

In fact, in last season’s Bundesliga he won 75.8 percent of his tackles, which places him in the top 10 percent of players in his position.

Frimpong won possession the final third 0.81 times per 90, ranking him among the top one percent of full-backs, and was dribbled past 0.5 times per 90 to be in the top 23 percent.

Where Frimpong will fit in

The expectation within Frimpong’s camp is that he will arrive as competition for Conor Bradley in the right-back spot, with a genuine battle for the first-choice role.

While he may bring more experience and a considerable price tag having been signed for £29.5 million, there is no sense that he will simply arrive and usurp the Northern Irishman.

Intriguingly, there is a possibility that Arne Slot looks to employ their different profiles depending on the challenges Liverpool are facing.

Though Bradley is a relentless overlapping full-back he does not possess the refined attacking quality that Frimpong does yet, which could mean the latter is preferred when Liverpool need an additional threat in the final third.

He could, in that sense, become Slot’s secret weapon in attack: a player who can add to the sheer attacking force of Mohamed Salah on the right flank to overload opposition left-backs.

But the data shows that Frimpong is not a pure attacker and can clearly be trusted to hold his own in his more orthodox duties as a right-back too. He could prove a bargain.

* FotMob is an essential app for every fan to keep up to date with their team or follow football worldwide, endless stats and features offer all you could ever want and never knew you needed!

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Could Liverpool Move for Rodrygo as Diaz Exit Looms? Rodrygo’s Role Under Threat at Real Madrid Liverpool’s summer transfer activity could soon centre around Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, with fresh reports from Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri via GOAL suggesting the Brazilian has emerged as a contingency option should Luis Diaz leave Anfield. Although there is […]

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Liverpool has begun to prepare for next season by starting preseason training this week and on Sunday will face Preston North End in its opening friendly of the summer.

Amid the heartbreaking news about Diogo Jota, there is still plenty of healing to be done. But the work to ensure that the team is as ready as possible for the new campaign also has to continue.

Amid it all, one Liverpool player is continually being linked with a transfer away from Anfield: Luis Diaz. It is a curious case given the Reds don't want to lose him — and that stance is unlikely to be tested after Bayern Munich laid out its current stance.

According to BILD, Bayern Munich is very keen to sign Diaz from Liverpool— with the player supposedly open to the move — but would only be willing to pay $69 million (£51 million) for his services.

Having been rejected by Florian Wirtz and Nico Williams already this summer, among others, the Bundesliga champion is in need of an alternative. But it is not desperate enough, it seems, to be willing to put down a statement sum of money.

To put the supposed valuation of Diaz into context, Anthony Elanga is heading to Newcastle United for a fee of around $75 million (£55 million), and Spurs are set to purchase Mohammed Kudus for a similar fee. Meanwhile, Chelsea has already signed Joao Pedro for that sort of amount with an agreement that could reach $82 million (£60 million) including add-ons.

Luis Diaz and Arne Slot after Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid in the Champions League. (Image: Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Already this summer, both Bayern Munich and Barcelona have been told that Diaz is not for sale. And if that is the ceiling that the German outfit is prepared to go to for the Colombian, then that position is extremely unlikely to change.

In addition to Diaz being worth way in excess of that sort of sum in the current market, that the likes of Elanga and Pedro are moving for more than Bayern is willing to spend shows how tough it would be for Liverpool to sign a replacement — especially given the other work that needs doing.

Diaz performed well for Arne Slot last season, scoring 17 goals in 50 appearances in all competitions. He played as a number nine for much of the campaign, though he also impressed off the left flank. As a result, finding an upgrade will be costly.

"We’re there, negotiating," Diaz told the Colombian influencer Mauricio Gomez this week. "We’ll see what can be achieved, for us and for the club. We’ll try to do our best and make the best decision.

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"We’re in the process of negotiations, talking with the club, with Liverpool, with everyone who’s approaching us. But I’m very calm where I am, you know, very happy. Trying to make the best decision now."

Given Barcelona's economic situation, the Catalan side is unlikely to be able to push that hard for Diaz even if that move would be appealing. And at 28, it seems highly unlikely that the former FC Porto star would have any interest in moving to the Saudi Pro League right now.

If the limit of Bayern Munich's interest is short of $70M, then there seems to be an obvious answer when it comes to Diaz's future. If nothing else, Liverpool couldn't even replace him with five-goal Kudus or six-goal Elanga for that — leaving only one obvious outcome.

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Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

A loss Thursday would be a devasting blow in an already frustrating 2024/25.

As is the case for any (sobs) 14th-place team, Tottenham Hotspur's season hinges on competitions outside the Premier League. A bye into the Europa League Round of 16 keeps that avenue open, and the FA Cup remains a possibility as well, but the most immediate and realistic path to silverware is the League Cup. Yes, the road is brutal, with a trip to Anfield before a final against Newcastle, but only 180 minutes separate Spurs from ending their long-standing trophy drought.

That makes Thursday the biggest match of the season so far. Tottenham impressed in the semifinal's first leg, grinding out a 1-0 win despite ceding possession, absorbing pressure, and deploying a makeshift backline. Now, the battle shifts to Liverpool, where the country's best team will be confident in its ability to overcome a one-goal deficit. Spurs enter as clear underdogs but must find a way to advance.

Semifinals (2nd Leg): Liverpool (0) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (1)

Date: Thursday, February 6
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
TV: Paramount+ (USA), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Since the first leg, Liverpool has gone 5-1-1, with the lone defeat coming in a meaningless Champions League contest with a rotated lineup. With a Premier League title in sight and a strong European campaign underway, one might assume this competition sits lower on the priority list. Unfortunately for Spurs, there are no significant matches on Liverpool's immediate horizon, meaning Arne Slot is likely to field a strong XI at Anfield.

Both teams were relatively cautious in North London, though for different reasons. Tottenham's approach was shaped by a defense missing three of its four preferred starters, alongside a newly introduced Antonin Kinsky. Ange Postecoglou now has the opportunity of choosing from options like Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, though plenty of important names like Micky van de Ven remain injured.

For Liverpool, the decision to play pragmatically was likely strategic — returning home with just a one-goal deficit seemed an acceptable trade-off. Having made that decision, Slot's side will now bring intensity reminiscent of December's league fixture. Players like Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dominik Szoboszlai were all absent from the first leg's starting lineup, but may be called upon Thursday with the objective more clear.

A few moments of greatness

Tottenham will not see much of the ball at Anfield. Liverpool will dominate possession, generate the bulk of the chances, and apply relentless pressure in Spurs' defensive third. That is a daunting prospect for cobbled-together squad; the number one priority is minimizing mistakes, especially with a lead to protect.

That said, Spurs must be willing to attack when opportunities arise and will not need much possession to be dangerous. Both Dominic Solanke's narrowly disallowed goal and Lucas Bergvall's successful strike in the first leg came via direct play over the top. Exploiting Liverpool's high press with quick, vertical attacks could be Tottenham's best path to maintaining the advantage.

If Spurs can capitalize on a pressing opponent and snatch an insurance goal, the tie will come down to their ability to weather the inevitable storm. Recent form does not inspire much confidence in their defensive resilience, but Tottenham has produced surprising performances against top teams this season. Postecoglou will need another one to keep his second-season trophy promise alive.

Liverpool fans will have seen the social media stories circling that both Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk signing a new contract, something Arne Slot was asked to comment on.

Speaking (via 90min.com), our head coach said: "We have some contractual situations that you don't probably don't know about.

"But Trent, Mo and Virgil haven't extended yet. So we are aware of the fact that we have to be sharp and ready for things that can happen.

"My life is mainly short term but we have so many quality people at this club that look at the longer term as well.

"You always have to be prepared for all the new things coming up.

"The players that don't play a big part at the moment; will they be able to do this another year? Will they fight for their place or will they [want to] go somewhere else?

"So we have to be prepared for the next window and what we can do."

The Dutchman doesn't really like to provide a direct answer on these topics, as it's not something he's directly involved in and prefers to allow time to pass.

However, confirmation that contracts have not been signed is a clear indication of the current situation and does debunk Robbie Fowler's theory.

Salah, Van Dijk and Trent have not yet signed a new contract Pictures via @MoSalah on X

John Barnes has stated that if he were in charge of the new deals, he would select our captain as the most important of the trio.

Many fans have their own opinions as to who they would or wouldn't allow to leave the club but it does feel that the overwhelming majority want all three to commit their future to staying on Merseyside.

You would assume the club can afford to do this but whether the financial model allows it is another question.

It's the same situation we've been in all campaign but we can take from this that no deals have yet been signed and it doesn't feel like we're close to them being done either.

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Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract in the summer, with Liverpool at risk of losing all three of their stars for nothing

Liverpool are set to face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg tonight.

The Reds lost the away first leg 1-0 controversially courtesy of Lucas Bergvall's late goal but he really should’ve been sent off earlier.

Newcastle United have reached the final by beating Arsenal in the other semi-final so the winner of this tie will take on the Magpies at Wembley on 16th March.

As per team news, Joe Gomez and Diogo Jota have returned to full fitness after recovering from their injury problems but Trent Alexander-Arnold has sustained an issue since featuring against the Cherries. So, he has been ruled out.

Predicted Liverpool lineup vs Tottenham

Caoimhin Kelleher has been playing in the cup competitions but Alisson Becker started in the previous leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Brazilian may continue in goal for the hosts tonight.

Jarell Quansah has started all the Carabao Cup matches thus far this season but considering the importance of the fixture tonight, Ibrahima Konate is expected to be called upon to feature alongside Virgil van Dijk in the CB position.

Conor Bradley would replace injured Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas might get the nod to start in the left-back position ahead of Andy Robertson.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are likely to continue in the engine room with Dominik Szoboszlai in the CAM role. Therefore, Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones could be among the substitutes.

Cody Gakpo has also played all the League Cup games and should continue in his preferred left-wing position, while Mohamed Salah would be on the opposite side.

Luis Diaz may start again in the CF role, therefore, Darwin Nunez and Jota could feature off the bench if needed. Here is how Liverpool could line up vs Tottenham:

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The Sky Sports campaign to try and destabilise Alexander Isak and get him out of Newcastle United is relentless, with the likes of Paul Merson and others, always willing to...

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