Text Size Adjuster: 18px 23 Jul 2026 00:33:01 In order to view all of today's banter, you may have to visit our Liverpool banter 2 to Liverpool banter 10 pages linked at the bottom of this page.
22 Jul 2026 21:37:29
Having done their best to ruin Elliot with a ridiculous loan, it's amusing to see that Villa have just captured Garnacho in the same kind of bargainl. Can't believe someone else would fall for their line having seen how last season's loan to buy deal worked out.
2
22 Jul 2026 23:25:20
Chelsea: How much for Morgan Rogers?
Villa: £80M.
Chelsea: What if we give you Garnacho for a season?
Villa: £117M.
Chelsea: Deal. 🤝
4
23 Jul 2026 00:06:45 I think the Garnacho loan is different, with an obligation to buy. It's likely part of the Morgan Rogers deal, and Villa and Chelsea are just doing some financial gymnastics.
22 Jul 2026 21:15:37
Arsenal missing out on Rogers due to not wanting to spend new than 80milion, I think sway them to concentrate on Barcola now. This will drive Barcola's price up if we compete.
I don’t expect Diomande to come nor do I think Barcola will get over the line either.
Sorry to sound negative but as soon as a battle to sign occurs LFC ‘seem’ to move away rather than fight. I get we shouldn’t over pay but time is ticking too and I’m sure Areola wants these new guys in sooner rather than later.
0
22 Jul 2026 22:53:42
We don't want to make a tit of ourselves now do we.
2
22 Jul 2026 23:17:35
Wirtz? Ekitike? Munoz?
And we didn't walk away from Isak when told that he wasn't for sale.
0
23 Jul 2026 00:01:24 Gaslighting of the highest order by the OP.
Yeah, we walk away.
Right.
0
23 Jul 2026 00:09:14 I don't want Areola anywhere near our club, average keeper. I do like my missus' areola(s) though. :)
22 Jul 2026 20:51:04.
During our holiday in the French Riviera, I got chatting to an Uber driver who was a die-hard Lyon supporter. When I told him of Liverpool's interest in signing Bradley Barcola, he became very animated and said it would be very bad business for LFC.
He'd watched Barcola for 4 seasons and said, apart from pace, he was absolutely useless. He couldn't stop laughing when I told him PSG wanted £100M+ for him and we were contemplating paying it. Said we'd be getting robbed paying 40M!
The man knew his footy.
3
22 Jul 2026 23:20:23
Aye, I reckon he could teach Deschamps, Enrique & Iraola a thing or two.
1
22 Jul 2026 23:21:37
Tbf I'm not 100% sold on Barcola and feel he'll be an expensive risk, however I'd probably trust the opinion of Deschamps and Enrique over some random Uber driver's opinion. There's definitely a player in there, just whether he's cut out for the physicality of the Prem, who knows.
I'm sure the same Uber driver might have said similar or worse to Ekitike when he "failed" at PSG too.
His pace alone is frightening, to be honest, but everyone these days nearly has pace in the Prem. I wouldn't mind taking him as a Gakpo replacement, I'm not convinced he's the man for the right hand side though, but would certainly not be devastated if we signed him. 40mil doesn't get you much these days in a world where Rogers and Anderson are worth 115mil plus.
0
22 Jul 2026 23:51:05 Barcola's miss when clean through in the last few minutes of one of the French World Cup games was enough for me. Lots of pace, no composure. Would avoid this deal at all costs.
0
23 Jul 2026 00:02:33 I won't pay this any heed until I have been presented with Iraola's views on running inner city, app based, taxi services.
22 Jul 2026 18:53:55.
The polar opposite of opinions on this site is what makes it so interesting. Throughout last season, there was a well held belief that the squad we had would be walking the PL, if it wasn't for the bald headed fraud. This was never a view that I shared. Roll forward a few months and we are in need of a major overhaul, according to some. Which view do people believe to be closer to the truth? Putting aside the fact we've lost Konate, Robertson and Salah - it was time for all 3 to go - I always believed there was more wrong with us than Slot, and despite the fact I'm excited at the prospect at what Iraola will do for us, there is no magic wand to fix things.
It will be requiring of a similar outlay to last year to put us back to where we all think we should be.
18
22 Jul 2026 19:25:53
Agreed.
2
22 Jul 2026 19:36:25
It became obvious quite early last season that Liverpool had some major problems. They couldn't press effectively, didn't have enough pace on the wings, couldn't progress the ball from back to front and didn't have enough strength in depth.
Iraola should be able to fix the first issue, but the other problems still remain.
8
22 Jul 2026 19:43:20
It was always going to be that way, Rome. There's an awful lot of gaps in the first team, let alone the squad, to fill. It'll take another window imo to have things corrected.
1
22 Jul 2026 19:46:26
imo no.1 problem was Slot but I do agree I think more wrong than just him. Above him I don't believe all was/is right, and I'd also guess we've signed a few questionable characters recently on playing side of things.
We looked a team totally disinterested on the pitch last season and generally that reflects what it's like off the pitch.
Ireola will do v well I think, but it's important what's around him is done correctly and is giving 100%.
3
22 Jul 2026 19:53:42
How's things, Rome?
Agree with most of that mate but it was increasingly clear Slot had "lost" the dressing room as early as last Autumn and was never going to get that team playing.
The total lack of interest in January to even attempt to strengthen the squad for him in positions we desperately needed to freshen were telling.
For me, it was imperative we strengthened at C/H last summer with a first team starter? That was a failure that really impacted the team, and he might well have faired better had we done so, but ultimately he carried the can for shockingly awful fitness and an even worse style of football, coupled with throwing a home cup tie.
That squad should have been easily good enough to have at least mounted a challenge on a couple of fronts.
Totally agree they need to strengthen and the position that really concerns me out of everything is at RB -.
3
22 Jul 2026 20:13:35
Mo Salah's goals and assists will be the hardest thing to replace, to offset this vital loss, more team goals and more team assists are required from the attackers, midfielders and defenders per se, instead of totally depending on one man's goal and assists contributions? You could also argue, has Mane/Bobby been replaced adequately by Gakpo/Wirtz?
A new penalty taker has yet to be decided, for example?
0
22 Jul 2026 20:16:08
I'm good, thanks, Bristol. Hope you're well, mate. I always enjoy the summer and don't miss the football till it starts. It then becomes a drug!
I agree RB needs addressing. Our current 2 can't be relied on for different reasons. I've already argued the need for an experienced CB.
We can't be relying solely upon Jacquet. Leonie is still not fit and Gomez cannot be relied upon (I'm being kind).
We all know we need a winger, and most of us agree that we need a centre mid who can get about the pitch. It's going to be an interesting couple of months.
3
22 Jul 2026 20:19:12
To give an alternative viewpoint, Rome, I disagree with everything you have said.
6
22 Jul 2026 20:21:22
007, The one thing I won't miss Salah for is his penalty taking. He missed 13. Hardly Matt Le Tissier. Bang average at best.
3
22 Jul 2026 20:26:39
I think the squad just needs to play faster. We going to need speed up front or on wings. Maybe a cb to cover rb til Bradley back, then I'd be happy for now. If we can get the midfield playing faster instead of standing still, it will be a big difference.
I'd love to swap Macca, but I'd put up with him for now for speed upfront. Slot was the problem.
3
22 Jul 2026 20:28:34
Cheers, Zed. Love you, mate! x
4
22 Jul 2026 20:29:31
I do still believe that we have a squad capable of challenging for the league. Possibly not walk it (although will admit this time last year I may have had it cross my mind!).
But, as you said, we have lost 3 players since then who definitely need replacing, as well as a couple others I would expect will leave. But I don't think the squad needs an overhaul. I kind of agree with MKs post the other day talking about how we kind of have a mismash of options in midfield, but technically do have numbers there. I definitely would like another, ideally straight starter as a body in there, but I also do think the mix of options we do have in terms of style could be an argument towards flexibility and tactical options.
Not sure I necessarily believe that, and do think a couple players do need upgrading / replacing here, but I also am a strong believer and hoper that AI will improve a lot of these players and make them into something in the same way Klopp did. It is no surprise repeatedly we could buy outcasts a lot of the time (in terms of top level) and turn them into something great, and similarly some of these players when leaving dropped off dramatically. I am hopeful for a similar outcome under AI that a lot of these players are capable of drastically improving.
2
22 Jul 2026 20:43:49
Many things can be true at once. You cant jst turn around and say "put aside the fact that we lost Salah...".
Our squad was of title winning standard last year, thats not even up for debate. We won the league the season previous, and we massively improved on that title winning squad.
Although it was a squad well capable of challenging for a title, its also true that this summer we do need a fairly major overhaul. We've lost our starting CB, we've lost our best LB of all time who's been Mr reliable for 9 years straight, and we've lost our greatest ever Prem era forward, a man who broke over 40 club and league records.
So there'll be no "putting aside".
On top of that, our star signing had his leg broken, our other main striker tore his Achilles, both RB's missed half the season due to serious injury and our promising young star CB tore his ACL.
This overhaul will continue into next summer when we're most likely going to loose VVD, Alisson and Gomez. Maybe Jones, Endo, Chiesa and Tsimikas too.
At the same time it's also true that there was more wrong than just Slot, that's exactly why Edwards is gone and Hughes will soon follow.
4
22 Jul 2026 20:48:28
The main source of goal contributions has left the club, somebody who had experience with winning; something needs to be done about that. We've needed another centre half for about 5 years, we've won the league in that time, obviously, but have also lost experience in that area, and our colossus of a defender is coming to the final stages of his career, although still excellent, not the younger man he once was. Think we're ok at goalkeeper for another season, although it will need addressing soon.
Midfield has also been missing a different profile of player, maybe even 2, for a couple of years, but again we've gotten through with what we have and won the league. Maybe one or two, but still pretty decent, and still has more potential.
If nobody from the current squad up top leaves and we add one who can make the difference in front of goal from the wing, again we're pretty decent and could expect much more in the coming season from those players we already have.
If somebody else were to leave, such as Gakpo, then we would need 2 in that area also.
Three to six players, depending on how you look at it, across defence, midfield and attack, and if they're the right players that's a strong Liverpool squad in either scenario, which I'd expect to be challenging for and winning the top prizes.
If The Don(i) can make a good positive start with what he has at his disposal, gets the players to believe and buy into his way of thinking, and gets to compliment what he has with a Salah replacement, 1 in defence and 1 in midfield, then I genuinely expect us to be a completely different animal to last season in a very positive way.
0
22 Jul 2026 20:53:47
But the way you describe them 3 players, and none of it is factually incorrect, is not the way the same three players performed to the standards of last season, Chewy. Reality is nearly anyone at CB is an improvement on last year's Ibou, Tsimi's not really a downgrade on modern day Robbo, and it won't take much to replace Salah's input last year.
Young Morrison could probably accomplish it, so the squad as it stands now isn't really much weaker than what we went with last season.
1
22 Jul 2026 21:08:48
Chewy, Robertson was getting pelters on here the season we won the league. Salah was lousy last season and we squeezed the last drop out of him the season before.
Regards to losing Gomez, Jones, Chiesa, Tsimikas and Endo, they'll be no loss whatsoever. If it wasn't for the cost of replacing them, I'd be happy to see the back of them this summer.
3
22 Jul 2026 22:33:13
Flo, I get what you're saying. But, with the current injuries, I think we are weaker than last year. We haven't got a fit rb, Jaquet is coming back from injury, and Leoni is still not fit. If we get an injury at cb or upfront, we are screwed.
0
22 Jul 2026 23:32:23
So what, their final season wasn't a good performance, does that take away from the fact that Salah and Robertson were exceptionally reliable for the 8 years previous? No, not at all. Just because they had one poor season at the end of their career doesn't mean they're not a huge loss to the team.
So you can bin that sort of argument. There comes a time in every player's career when they hit that decline, and you won't know it's happened until it happens, but by no means does that make them any less of a loss.
1
22 Jul 2026 23:48:06 It actually does, Chewy. And, West Yorkshire, we hardly had a fit rb last year too. Bradley started 12 league games. Jaquet's back fit now, and Leoni was missing all last year, so we're more or less where we were all last year with cbs, except Leoni should actually be fit for most of the season ahead. Yes, if Isak gets an injury, we'd struggle, but we were like that practically all of last season with Ekitike because of how Isak's season went.
22 Jul 2026 17:07:55
So interesting we have enquired for Akliouche, stylistically he is so different to Barcola and Diomande… This is turning into quite a bizarre and interesting window.
2
22 Jul 2026 18:13:25
All our rw links seem to depend on PSG making their mind up first. Maybe this is to hurry things up one way or another.
4
22 Jul 2026 18:22:01
Maybe we aren't trying to force PSG's hand, but more to force Roc Natiions?
4
22 Jul 2026 18:41:02
Indeed, Gols Star.
1
22 Jul 2026 18:44:52
I don't understand, though, how it forces PSG's hand. They have strength and depth in wide areas, and don't need to sell Barcola. They could just say f*** u, sign Akliouche, and not sell Barcola. Strange tactics indeed...
1
22 Jul 2026 18:56:51
Or we could sign their target Akliouche?
1
22 Jul 2026 18:59:35
We want a right winger. By the sounds of it, we would be happy with Akliouche, Barcola or Diomande. PSG hold the cards with two of them, so we bid for the other. Makes sense to me.
2
22 Jul 2026 19:03:30
Top attribute: can thread the ball through the eye of a needle, no need to dribble when you can do that, statistically more goals are scored from crosses into the box than individual dribbles.
Dani Carvajal, free agent, is being considered for RB as a stop gap one year deal offered with the option to extend. AI sees a bit of James Milner in him. He ended his season at RM as club captain.
3
22 Jul 2026 19:05:12
Hopefully Work From Home Richard isn't about to use his powers of making us overpay for someone by pissing them off again.
0
22 Jul 2026 19:26:03
At his peak, Mo surely broke that rule? I.e., his dribbles into the box resulted in far more goals than his crosses?
In fact, I can't really remember either him nor Mane crossing a huge amount. Trent and Robbo did that.
I would have thought crosses are more high risk than a dribble on goal - so many variables involved.
There is a book, more of a pamphlet really, by the much maligned Charles Hughes, who was seen as the guy behind the long ball theories which ruined English football - as practiced by Graham Taylor (Villa & England), Don Howe & George Graham (Arsenal), and Joe Royle / David Moyes (Everton), and, of course, Wimbledon.
But I am not sure Hughes can be blamed for those long ball managers. He espoused quick breaks, a high press, and the idea that a team is most vulnerable when in possession.
Sounds like Jurgen and Jose read the manual properly, though Jose was closer to the George Graham of Arsenal's interpretation.
2
22 Jul 2026 20:46:33
Yeah, I don't see how this forces anything, this is nothing like the Newcastle situation some have likened it to. PSG are incapable of being bullied right now. They hold all the cards.
0
22 Jul 2026 23:15:21
They won't want all 3 players on the books that I mentioned. If we go after one of their targets (Akliouche), they either out bid us and don't bid on Diomande...
They outbid us and also bid on Diomande, with Barcola then surplus...
Or they don't bid on Akliouche.
Us making an offer on Akliouche starts the dominoes falling.
I see us signing one of the 3, maybe even 2. But our need is far greater than theirs, and we need to get things moving somehow.
22 Jul 2026 16:50:04.
I do enjoy the back and forth on this site, however considering the website is literally called Liverpool Rumours some responses to new or conflicting posts is hilarious!
22 Jul 2026 15:29:22
With rumours of a significant investment in a share of LFC, could you see this impacting spend in the current transfer window in any way?
1
22 Jul 2026 15:59:48
Not really, pal, we would still work within the same confounds as per league rules.
1
22 Jul 2026 16:00:04
Short answer, no, not really. Has been part of FSG plan for a long time to raise investment.
But is not a case of oh we have an extra few hundred mill to spend this summer now.
1
22 Jul 2026 16:03:26
No, the club spends its own money.
3
22 Jul 2026 20:28:33
Some of it might depend on whether the investment is a secondary stake sale by FSG or a primary investment in the company by a new investor. Even if the latter were to be true, I would expect it to take a minimum of 6 months before we are able to translate that into operable transfer budgets.
So I would not expect any fireworks, especially in the near term.
22 Jul 2026 15:21:51
Hello all! Not sure how true this is but we've supposedly we've approached Maghnes Akliouche of Monaco! Can any of the Ed's or ITK's confirm or deny this? I was convinced he was off to PSG!
Thanks in advance peeps!
3
22 Jul 2026 16:19:22
I said a while back we should hijack PSG's move for Akliouche. I doubt there's much truth to it though, given Robbo's claim that Diomande is back on. Maybe Akliouche is plan B; he will have a much tougher time trying to break into the starting 11 at PSG, that could be incentive enough. Not your typical super-pacey winger, more of an AM, but he is very nice on the ball, great technical ability and half the price of anyone else we've been linked to.
We could probably get Akliouche and Mika Godts in for less than the price of Diomande alone. 2 highly technical wingers who regularly get the head up to look for the right pass, just the kind of thing we need to unlock Isak.
6
22 Jul 2026 17:01:44
Guess it's up to Akliouche. Does he want to be the main man or does he just want to be squad filler at PSG?
2
22 Jul 2026 17:25:37
Get it done. He will score goals in the Prem.
2
22 Jul 2026 18:43:04
Langland, do you by any chance have the winning lottery numbers as well?