Liverpool

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool academy director Alex Inglethorpe and his team oversee the development of younger players and ensure there is alignment between the academy and the first team at Anfield.

One of the phrases used is: 'The first-team pitch is only 300 metres away from the academy building in Kirkby, but the journey might take 10 years to get there."

Under new boss Andoni Iraola, players like Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas and James McConnell, who have spent time at the academy, have all featured this season.

Just before the Liverpool academy players go on the pitch, there is a sign, referring to where the first team train, that says: "Don't look sideways."

Next month will mark 14 years at Liverpool for Inglethorpe. So what is his definition of success?

"Anyone would want to take something on and leave it in a better place, and I think we've done that," he said. "Ultimately, we have had players in the first team winning major trophies and we're fortunate to be part of that era."

There is one standout moment.

The 'Kids Cup', when Liverpool beat Chelsea in the 2024 Carabao Cup final. Faced with an injury crisis, Jurgen Klopp relied heavily on academy players and his side finished the match with a team whose average age was under 22. Klopp called it his "most special trophy".

"It's definitely a moment in time. The longer the game went on, Jurgen was taking off the seniors and putting another one of the boys on. It was an incredible show of belief," said Inglethorpe.

On another wall in Inglethorpe's office is a magnetic board with headshots of every player in the academy on the left and the first-team squad on the right. Ultimately, the motive is for everyone to make the journey across the board.

With a £20m revamp to the academy facility planned to be completed by 2028, the determination to carry on producing first-team players is stronger than ever.

"There are exciting times ahead with the potential for the other end, and I'm really excited for the future," added Inglethorpe.

"In Julian Ward [the new sporting director], we have someone who is hugely invested in the academy and has been on this journey for a long time."

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Liverpool fan Nahyan Chowdhury has set the scene for Sunday's clash against Manchester City at Anfield.

It is the first game back for both sides after City were found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

"On the pitch, we have had many a battle with Manchester City," said Chowdhury.

"We've had cup finals, Champions League knockout games and, of course, heart-breaking title races which we have lost on the final day - not once, but twice. To this day, a small part of me is broken inside and I don't think it will ever heal."

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Liverpool have a £59.5m buyback clause for Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, 23, but the England international - who has been linked with Real Madrid and Chelsea - is reluctant to return to Anfield. (Football Insider), external

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Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Just five games in, it might seem a bit early to pay much attention to the Premier League table - but it's probably more settled than you think.

If we look at the Premier League after five games last season and where teams ultimately ended up, the final table was already starting to take shape as 13 of the 20 sides finished within four places of where they sat even at this early stage (65%).

Eventual champions Arsenal were second, Sunderland were already seventh - where they finished eight months later - and two of the three sides that were relegated were already in the bottom three.

The eventual champions have been in the top two at this point in the past four campaigns, suggesting - potential punishments aside - it will be Manchester City or Arsenal that lifts the trophy.

The top end of the table overall has sometimes settled surprisingly quickly in recent years. The top eight after five games in 2024-25 finished as the top eight at the end of that season (although not in the same order), while the top six in 2019-20 and top seven in 2016-17 were also in place at this early stage.

While being top after five games has not meant much in recent seasons, being bottom certainly has.

Tottenham could well be in trouble once again as the side bottom of the Premier League after five games has been relegated in six of the past seven seasons.

Being bottom this early did not used to be such a bad omen. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19, only one of the six sides that were propping up the table after five games ended up going down - Newcastle in 2015-16 - while Crystal Palace finished as high as 11th in 2017-18.

Looking at the relegation battle more broadly, at least one of the teams in the bottom three at this stage has been relegated in the past eight seasons - so one of Tottenham, Fulham and Coventry City are very likely to be heading to the Championship in May.

The pool of contestants for this season's relegation battle may already be decided too because the three sides that ultimately went down in the past three seasons were all in the bottom six after five games, which would add Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to the mix.

The last sides to be outside the bottom six at this point but relegated were Leeds United and Southampton in 2022-23, who were both in the top half (seventh and ninth). With their teams currently in eighth and 11th place, Hull City and Ipswich Town fans will hope that is still the case at the end of this campaign.

While the season may well have barely begun, the Premier League table is already starting to take shape.

Read the piece in full here

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

One of the first things you notice in Alex Inglethorpe's office at Liverpool's AXA Training Centre is a framed image gifted by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

It is a picture from 2019 of the academy director and player watching a game together. Alexander-Arnold left for a new challenge at Real Madrid last year, after 20 years on Merseyside, but his story is one of inspiration for everyone that enters Liverpool's academy.

He joined as a six-year-old in 2004 and went on to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup with the Reds.

"The ideal for any academy, and certainly for us, is wanting young players - and hopefully they're local players - to improve the first team and in doing so, they come and win trophies," said Inglethorpe.

"At Liverpool the bar is high, so to have a player capable of winning everything that you could possibly win is a dream."

But when Curtis Jones moved to Inter Milan in the summer, it left Liverpool without a first-team player born in the city.

"I acknowledge the fact that, ideally, Liverpool would love to have a team full of Scousers," added Inglethorpe.

"But it is testament to the supporters that if you adopt the characteristics of a Scouser - and you only have to see the likes of Bill Shankly, Kenny Dalglish and others over the years - you can be treated as one of their own.

"If you are fearless, passionate, play tough and demonstrate those qualities, then it doesn't matter if you've come from an L1 postcode and got a purple bin or not. That's the beauty of the club and the crowd."

One name to keep an eye on is 15-year-old Luca Eden. The midfielder was born in the Wirral and has already represented England at youth level.

Last month, he became the youngest player to feature in the Uefa Youth League for Liverpool, beating a record previously held by Joshua Abe, Rio Ngumoha and Alexander-Arnold.

"We've got plenty of Scousers in the academy and plenty who I think will play for the club. But, if not, and a lad comes from Warrington or wherever, that's not a problem," insisted Inglethorpe.

Read more about Liverpool's academy approach here

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Liverpool have shown "good signs" so far this season under new manager Andoni Iraola, says Liverpool.com journalist, Matt Addison.

The Basque head coach has undoubtedly improved the "poor" Reds side from last season - with four wins in seven matches across all competitions so far - and his coaching influence has become visible to supporters.

Addison told BBC Radio Merseyside: "I think there's still a lot of work to do, clearly, and I think if you asked him he'd be fairly honest about that but there's definitely been good signs.

"It will be tested by the amount of injuries but again that's not his fault the squad is too light. That's not on him, that's on the decision-makers at Liverpool who decided to go down that route.

"I think what we've seen he can influence in terms of his coaching; a lot of energy, a lot of intensity, a lot of younger players being trusted. Someone like Lewis Koumas for example, I don't think anybody, even the player himself, would have thought at the start of the summer that would be something that has happened. It is a little bit reminiscent of Jurgen Klopp.

"There's been good signs, there's a long way to go but when you consider how poor Liverpool were for the majority of last season, that's not a shock."

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Manchester United are expected to face serious competition from rivals Liverpool for Bournemouth and France left-back Adrien Truffert, 24, who is valued at about £60m (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are all monitoring England defender Jarell Quansah as the 23-year-old continues to impress for Bayer Leverkusen. (Caught Offside), external

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Liverpool fan Peter Kenny Jones believes it would be a "gigantic concern" if Jeremy Jacquet is injured for the game against Manchester City on Sunday after the France international withdrew from international duty with a fitness issue.

The 21-year-old centre back has impressed since joining up with the club this summer after he completed his move from Rennes in January and Jones thinks he is set to be Virgil van Dijk's successor when the Reds captain calls time on his legendary career at Anfield.

"I'd say it's a gigantic concern," Jones told BBC Radio Merseyside. "We were talking about him being the successor to Van Dijk and I'm definitely not the only one saying that and his performances have been as impressive as Van Dijk has been this season. Maybe we'd compare him to [Ibrahima] Konate and he's better even though Konate wasn't a bad defender, Jacquet is that good.

"He, as much as us, would be looking forward to seeing how he copes against [Erling] Haaland. It's a massive worry but it's just because [Giovanni] Leoni hasn't played at all so it's not going to be him and you're going to have to put [Ronald] Araujo in there and he has been good but then you'll have to put [Jeremie] Frimpong at right-back.

"Jacquet is as good as Van Dijk looks on the ball. His passes into midfield are so exciting and so different that Van Dijk is obviously going to benefit from having a good footballer alongside."

Jones also touched on Bradley Barcola's slow start on Merseyside after his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain, saying: "It's nine games for club and country without a goal or assist which isn't ideal for a player you've spent £120m on.

"We've seen flashes of what he can do, like against Atletico Madrid when he had that huge chance. There's definitely something there in that £120m, it's just how we get the most of it.

"He's 24-years-old, he's just come to a new country, he's really, really quick, everything else I'm still waiting to see but not in the sense that he's running out of time.

"He's not even had the minutes really to say he should've done more but there will come a time if we get to a month down the line or Christmas and it becomes a worry. But go and score a hat-trick against City and we'll all forgive him, so it's fine."

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We asked for your views on Sunday's match between Liverpool and Manchester City and what you expect from atmosphere to performance.

Here are some of your comments:

John: The atmosphere will be white-hot. The Liverpool fans will make sure City's players, board, staff and fans know what they think of the guilty verdict. It'll be interesting to see how everyone related to Manchester City (particularly their board and players) reacts to the atmosphere.

Ken: I hope it's a feral atmosphere from start to finish, albeit with no shenanigans between the two sets of supporters.

Ryfi: It will be hostile for the City players and fans. I expect it to be like a Champions League final at Anfield. The fans will be very loud and intimidating.

Paul: I think the songs will be very interesting and, also, the whistles will be deafening.

Marilyn: If ever our Reds need to turn up it's this match! A really convincing win would give our boys such a boost and prove a really big point to City. I can see lots of potential - we just need to gel and this is the match to do it.

Liverpool and Paris St-Germain are interested in signing Rayan Cherki from Manchester City should the 23-year-old France midfielder become available. (Teamtalk), external

Real Madrid have already scouted Alex Scott at least three times with Liverpool, Arsenal and AC Milan also keen. (4-4-2.ch - in German), external

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A number of Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be hit with both "retrospective punishments" and sanctions for the future for their mass financial rule-breaking, sources have told BBC Sport.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

City have appealed against the verdict, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is poised to look at the findings to see if there may be any suggestions of potential misconduct.

However, there is said to be a consensus among a group of top-flight club executives that if City's appeal is unsuccessful, the sanctions should make reparations for the period when they broke the rules, while also limiting their powers in future.

There is also a feeling from at least four Premier League boardrooms that a "one-hit" points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be an insufficient punishment given the severity of City's wrongdoing.

Read more on what rival clubs want

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Liverpool are waiting to discover the extent of Jeremy Jacquet's injury after the defender missed France's Nations League win over Belgium.

Jacquet, who has featured in all seven matches for the Reds this season, played twice for Zinedine Zidane's squad before Monday's omission.

In a statement from the French Football Federation, they said the 21-year-old had sustained a "strain to his left hamstring", while in Zidane's post-match press conference he said Jacquet was "slightly injured".

The possibility of Jacquet missing Sunday's clash against Manchester City is a significant blow for head coach Andoni Iraola following Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo's respective injury concerns.

Isak was sent home after just one match for Sweden due to a minor thigh problem, while Gakpo is more of a concern after suffering an ankle injury.

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On Sunday, all eyes will be on Anfield when Manchester City play their first game since they were handed guilty verdicts for all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.

The narrative is made all the more compelling by City facing the club who perhaps feel the most aggrieved by the news. The Reds finished second to City in the Premier League in 2013-14 - during the period covered by the charges - and also 2018-19 and 2021-22.

Manchester City reporter Simon Bajkowski from the Manchester Evening News believes the drama on Sunday will start from when the visitors' team coach arrives at Anfield.

"It's going to be interesting," he told BBC Radio Manchester. "It's one of those games where the whole world will be watching to see what happens.

"Liverpool at Anfield this season have been a bit sticky and not gelled yet under Andoni Iraola. It's traditionally a very tough place for City to go. It was made tougher in the Pep era as he wound up the fans and got into those games.

"Whether Maresca does the same or tries to keep the noise out of it will be interwting to see. Before a ball is kicked all eyes will be on the Manchester City bus, whether that makes it safely in and what reception that gets.

"Then it is how much noise and anger there is in the stadium towards the City players because Liverpool are obviously one of the teams who have lost out the most from City's cheating."

What are you expecting on Sunday? Something special in terms of hostility and atmosphere at Anfield? And how do you feel going into the game?

Get in touch with your views here

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Redmen TV's Dan Clubbe says conversations about extending "remarkable" Virgil van Dijk's contract should happen "early".

The 35-year-old Liverpool captain's current deal runs until the summer of 2027, but his sustained impressive performances have led to fan anxiety over extending his stay.

He won his 100th international cap for the Netherlands on Sunday and extended his own record of captaining his country to 84 times.

"To continue being at the level he is at his age is remarkable, especially post-ACL," Clubbe told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"It's quite significant and defies traditional wisdom. Logic would suggest that is very difficult to do and very few have managed it.

"He has been nothing short of exceptional. There were some question marks around his performances last season but he looks back to his best. The longevity and the class is there for all to see. He has become more and more of a leader. I had reservations about his captaincy because he is more of a reserved character than Jordan Henderson and leads by example, but he's proven me wrong.

"He is an absolutely remarkable footballer and one of the best I've seen play for Liverpool."

Liverpool have suffered before with players running down their contracts, losing Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free to Real Madrid in 2025, and Clubbe believes Van Dijk should be prioritised over other players, such as Alisson and Joe Gomez, who are also on deals ending next summer.

"You probably start with a one-year extension, but if that doesn't entertain him then you probably have to go back with a two-year," Clubbe added.

"You probaby want it be to clause-led for the second year because you want him to be fit and available.

"I'd start with Van Dijk. As captain, he warrants that level of conversation at least and I would have it early. You need to get it ticked off one way or another early doors. His performance level is one thing but the captaincy is definitely another.

"It is a really young group of centre backs so to have someone of Van Dijk's stature and experience can really help, even if he is not always on the pitch."

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BBC Radio Merseyside's Ian Kennedy and Mike Hughes discuss Liverpool's fixture against Manchester City on Sunday and who is available to play.

Kennedy told The Red Kop podcast: "In a game like this, you need all your best players out there, and those two - Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak - give Liverpool that edge.

"I know everyone has scrutinised Isak's form since he got to the club, but this season he is at least scoring goals.

"It will be interesting to see what [Erling] Haaland's fitness levels are like as well, because I think he did pick up something from Norway, but it would be good if Liverpool have got a full strength side out."

Hughes added: "With Bradley Barcola, listen, he's a big game player. We've seen him do it on so many occasions for PSG, we've seen him do it at the World Cup, even though he didn't play every minute, he hasn't fired on all four cylinders as yet [at Liverpool].

"He will do. He's too good a player not to do, and you get the feeling that having been on the international break, everybody will be talking about Manchester City playing Liverpool and what's it going to be like, and he'll be asking the players that have played in those fixtures at Liverpool. He'll be chomping at the bit to get involved.

"He is so rapid that if Liverpool can get him on the ball early on in the match and have him running at Manchester City, and put the frighteners on them very early on in the game, it's not only what that will do for Liverpool in an attacking sense, it's what it will do for Manchester City in a defensive sense, to know what they're up against, so City might change their defensive plans.

"It's going to be really interesting to see what he can do, but there are so many battles on that pitch. Cody Gakpo, fingers crossed he will be fit, he's been fabulous so far this season and most Liverpool fans thought he would have been out of the door during the summer and look at the way he's responded.

"I think that relationship between Gakpo and Isak, their starting places are in some doubt because of injuries, but that's something I think that could blossom as this season progresses."

Listen by pressing play on the clip below or on BBC Sounds here

Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are all interested in 27-year-old Barcelona and France defender Jules Kounde, with the Spanish club willing to listen to significant offers. (Sport - in Spanish), external

Liverpool, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are interested in Fulham's 19-year-old English attacker Josh King who is valued at £51m. (4-4-2.ch - in German), external

Liverpool and Manchester United are interested in Barcelona and Spain left-back Alejandro Balde, 22, who is also wanted by Juventus. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Inter and Juventus are both eyeing Liverpool's 19-year-old Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni. (Tuttosport - in Italian), external

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