The offseason is here for Liverpool FC, and the Reds squad won’t be reunited again until training camp commences in July. However, it’s going to be a very busy summer (some would say it is already), and certainly an exciting transfer window at Anfield, with a whole lot of topics to discuss.
Today is another very busy news day, so let’s take a spin through Tuesday’s headlines.
-Sadio Mane to Real Madrid? Well, that seems highly unlikely, but apparently one outlet says it was going to happen, until Zinedine Zidane shockingly stepped down last week and thus kiboshed the move.
The Guardian writes: “Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool can come together as one in celebration of Zinedine Zidane’s recent resignation as Real Madrid manager. Zidane had been planning on a raid on the Premier League for Eden Hazard, David de Gea and Sadio Mané. But now? Well, the window doesn’t shut for another three months and there are still plenty of column inches to fill, so let’s rule nothing out.”
Here’s a link to much more on Eden Hazard and the Real Madrid transfer narrative, just in case you wish to further indulge in that hypothetical situation.
The Guardian didn’t reference the source of this far-fetched idea, but according to NBC Sports it’s France Football, who said the move was done and dusted should Zinedine Zidane have stayed at Real Madrid.
–Mohamed Salah is included in the Egypt World Cup squad while he recovers from a shoulder injury he suffered in the UEFA Champions League final after a collision with Sergio Ramos. The incident caused a lot of backlash against Ramos, and the latest injury recovery timetables predict that Salah will miss Egypt’s first two group stage clashes.
Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren backs his teammate to play through the pain in Russia this month and revealed that the winger has already done so, on the club level with the Reds.
“Hopefully he can be fit for the World Cup because I know it means a lot to him to play for his national team,” Lovren told reporters. “I’m positive. I have some news, but I will keep it to myself. Mo is the type of player who wants to play even when he feels pain. He showed that this season. There were a couple of games where people didn’t know [that he was in pain], but in the end he scored a hat trick or whatever.”
“Of course it was disappointing for him that he couldn’t finish the game in Kiev, but he’s positive and hopefully he can move on and play for the national team.”
Lovren said he had news, but he would keep it close to the vest instead. It actually sounds like he just let the cat out of the bag.
-Finally, it was revealed yesterday that embattled Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius traveled to the United States on holiday, and while across the pond he underwent a scan due to worries that he may have suffered a concussion in the Champions League final loss to Real Madrid.
Today, it was confirmed that Karius was indeed concussed in that clash.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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