Liverpool Round-Up, Sunday 4th October: Olise Twist, Van Dijk Contract Warning and Big Injury Worries Ahead of Man City Clash
Transfer talk continues to swirl around Michael Olise, with reports suggesting his contract situation at Bayern Munich is becoming uncertain amid ongoing Barcelona interest (Liverpool.com). Liverpool.com also noted that LiverpoolFC.com's own coverage has flagged the Reds' interest in the Bayern winger (LiverpoolFC.com). Adding a personal angle, former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, now a Bayern teammate of Olise, has been speaking about the transfer to Anfield that never materialised, saying he is "thankful" for how things turned out (Liverpool.com).
In defence, Liverpool are reportedly keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest's Murillo, though owner Evangelos Marinakis is said to have set a "huge price tag" and has no plans to sell in January, according to transfer journalist Pete O'Rourke (TeamTalk). Elsewhere, Alex Scott's future has taken a twist as a European club reportedly accelerates its interest, with Liverpool and Chelsea also credited with admiration for the midfielder following his England debut in the 7-0 win over Croatia (TeamTalk). There's also a reported Barcelona option being monitored by Liverpool regarding a Manchester United transfer target who is said to be refusing to push for an exit (Liverpool.com).
Virgil van Dijk's long-term future remains a talking point, with Liverpool yet to open contract talks as his deal runs down and Real Madrid repeatedly linked amid suggestions his head could be turned by the Spanish giants (Liverpool.com). On the pitch, though, the captain continues to impress alongside young centre-back partner Jeremy Jacquet, with Emmanuel Petit offering his view on why the duo are clicking (Liverpool.com), and Jacquet himself praising Van Dijk's level in glowing terms (Liverpool.com). Jacquet also revealed an unexpected role model in a former Manchester United flop, insisting his admiration "hasn't changed" (Liverpool.com). Meanwhile, Ronald Araujo's impressive loan spell at right-back is reportedly giving Liverpool a cheaper option to consider as cover, according to Liverpool.com (Liverpool.com).
There's also transfer business from the past being revisited, with Jermain Defoe revealing that Steven Gerrard twice tried to engineer a move for him to Anfield, though it "just never happened" (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool Echo). In a separate interview, a Premier League star admitted he snubbed Liverpool to join Manchester City and wonders if he made the wrong call (Liverpool Echo).
On the injury front, Liverpool could be without as many as nine players for next weekend's huge clash with Manchester City at Anfield after three fresh fitness blows emerged from the international camps (Liverpool Echo). Giovanni Leoni, meanwhile, is said to have had a loan enquiry rejected, with European clubs reportedly set to run the watchful eye over the defender on a "weekly" basis (This Is Anfield), while the Echo reports he is being "targeted" by sides looking to rebuild their own defensive identity (Liverpool Echo).
International duty has dominated headlines elsewhere, with Alexis Mac Allister again catching the eye for Argentina, providing an assist in a 7-0 win that Argentine media praised ahead of Lionel Messi's farewell (TeamTalk) (This Is Anfield) (LiverpoolFC.com). Victor Munoz earned praise from Spanish media for a "statement of intent" display after also picking up an assist during a surprise international chance (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool.com). Andy Robertson is closing in on a Kenny Dalglish record while on duty with Scotland (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool.com), and Virgil van Dijk is set to win his 100th cap for the Netherlands, with manager Xavi paying tribute to the defender, who admitted to feeling "emotional" about the milestone (Liverpool.com). Elsewhere, Milos Kerkez left the Hungary camp early, though reports played down concerns over Dominik Szoboszlai being substituted for Hungary (This Is Anfield). Szoboszlai also received a vote of confidence from a Liverpool teammate over his captaincy claims amid dressing-room discussion (Liverpool.com).
On the fringes of the first team, Lewis Koumas continues to impress both club and country, with Wales boss Craig Bellamy and Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola both said to rate him highly as he eyes another start and milestone against Denmark (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool.com). There was also news on Federico Chiesa, reportedly "ready to leave" Liverpool, while youngster Rio Ngumoha shared some advice given to him by Mo Salah (Liverpool Echo). Ngumoha has also been informally linked with Arsenal, according to the Echo, as part of a wider look at sporting director Julian Ward's early priorities at Anfield (Liverpool Echo).
Elsewhere in the news agenda, former boss Jurgen Klopp discussed rediscovering his "love" for football in his new role as Germany head coach (This Is Anfield), though he was again involved in a tense exchange with reporters, this time over Florian Wirtz's involvement in the squad (Liverpool.com). Alan Shearer, meanwhile, questioned whether Liverpool fans will ever see the best of Wirtz in the Premier League and posed a "big" question over Klopp's new international remit (Liverpool.com).
Finally, there's a reminder of how Liverpool once blocked a legendary goalkeeper's "secret" move to Everton (This Is Anfield), while Steven Gerrard also settled the long-running Robbie Fowler versus Michael Owen debate among Liverpool supporters (Liverpool Echo). On this day in 2015, Brendan Rodgers recalled being sacked by Liverpool while driving home, saying he "sensed it was coming" before Klopp's appointment (Liverpool Echo).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.