Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Ronald Araujo says his loan switch from Barcelona to Liverpool "was the ideal move for me at this stage in my career".

The Reds have snapped up Araujo - who can play at centre-back or right-back - on a season-long deal.

The 27-year-old said: "I can't wait to get started. I'm very, very happy.

"I'm excited to be here at this massive club with lots of history. I'm excited to meet my teammates, excited to get started playing, and I'm very motivated and really up for getting going.

"I think it was the ideal move for me at this stage in my career. I think it was a move that was necessary for me to take. As soon as I heard that interest from Liverpool, everything went into action really, really quickly.

"As I say, I'm super-happy to be here and excited to get started. I'm glad about the interest and it was the right move at the right time."

Uruguay international Araujo has played over 200 times for Barca, winning three La Liga titles in the process.

Image source, Getty Images

A consortium including billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has advanced its talks to buy about a 30% stake in Liverpool, BBC Sport has been told, and we asked for you views on the news.

Here are a selection of your comments:

Mark: Big concern about this. Look at the state of Manchester United with the Glazers! We have been lucky with FSG as they have sports in their DNA as it were. Bezos and his investment buddies would only be interested in extracting returns, which worries me immensely.

Dan: Honestly? The Bezos deal just distances me further from the club. Football was meant to mean something. It's gradually become a vacuous franchise. I can't believe that in my relatively short life time, football has been hollowed out and sold to the highest bidder. When does it end? What more do the billionaire's need to satisfy their appetite? Unfortunately, as a passionate and dedicated Liverpool fan for 30 years, I think I might be out. The soul has gone.

James: Doesn't feel in keeping with the Spirit of Shankly - "The socialism I believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having a share of the rewards. It's the way I see football, the way I see life."

Mark: Bezos' "brand" is not compatible with Liverpool FC. He shouldn't be allowed anywhere near our club.

Image source, Getty Images

A consortium including billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has advanced its talks to buy about a 30% stake in Liverpool, BBC Sport has been told.

The group is led by British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) confirmed last month that the group had "expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club".

Get in touch with your views here

Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Winning is important but, for many fans, how a team plays in the hunt for a win is almost as significant.

Many believe Andoni Iraola's style is more aligned with the 'heavy metal' football Anfield had come to love under Jurgen Klopp.

So how have Liverpool fared in their pre-season games so far under Iraola?

The Reds have beaten Sunderland and Wrexham in pre-season, but threw away two-goal leads in defeats by both Leeds and Monaco.

They averaged 60.6% possession over this small sample size - which is a 12.9% jump on Bournemouth's average possession under Iraola in the Premier League last season.

With teams more likely to sit deep against Liverpool, having lots of possession is a newer challenge Iraola has to tackle, and he has looked to do this while sticking to the intense and chaotic style that typified his previous sides.

Liverpool have looked to build up short at times with their goalkeeper, four defenders and one or two central midfielders deep.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Trey Nyoni - Liverpool's preferred deeper midfield duo in pre-season - drop to show for the ball, bouncing it towards wide players in space.

Iraola's sides have become known for fast and vertical counter-attacks but, with Liverpool looking to hold the ball more deliberately, these short passes in build-up are designed to entice opposition pressure before accelerating play.

Once a team have committed players to pressing Liverpool, Iraola's men look for forward passes readily - almost manufacturing their own counter-attacks.

If a team press immediately, Liverpool have been willing to skip short build-up play and go long from goalkeepers Alisson or Giorgi Mamardashvili early.

By simplifying the attacking game into two-v-two or three-v-three situations, Liverpool are hoping to have a repeatable and dynamic solution, resulting in crosses from dangerous positions close to goal.

As exciting as this style of play can appear though, it does leave Liverpool very top-heavy.

In the opening games, we have seen both full-backs join the attack alongside two of the midfield three and the front three. This can result in situations that leave only the two centre-backs and one holding midfielder positioned behind the ball.

Four pre-season games is a very small sample, but Iraola's stamp on Liverpool is already clear to see, featuring many of the same instructions that defined his Bournemouth side.

Read the full article here

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Virgil van Dijk believes that even though there is change at Anfield with a new head coach in Andoni Iraola, the aim is still very much the same.

"It definitely feels like a bit of a transition, for sure," said Van Dijk, after Liverpool's 3-2 defeat to Monaco on Sunday. "It is down to everyone associated with Liverpool to make sure we are building something that will be successful for years to come.

"This year, we want to be successful, but there is a lot of work still to be done. We all know how difficult it is to be playing in the Premier League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the Champions League, so we need everyone at their best."

Van Dijk was granted an extended break after the World Cup, having played every minute of the Premier League last season and the 35-year-old chose not to go on Liverpool's pre-season tour of the USA, saying he felt that was the "best way" for himself.

"I definitely asked for a good break because I felt like I needed it, not only physically but mentally as well," said Van Dijk. "It was a very demanding year from before pre-season started last year until the day I got knocked out of the World Cup so I felt like I needed a good break and I had maybe three days more than Ryan (Gravenberch), Flo (Wirtz) and Alex (Isak).

"For me it was key I didn't want to go to America because I didn't want to get jet lag and after come back from that as well and I felt like having a couple of extra days at the AXA (training ground), doing the testing before the team was there and getting ready for when the team was back to immediately crack on. I felt that was personally the best way."

On his relationship with Iraola, Van Dijk added: "It has been absolutely fine, we had a great conversation in the first week when it got announced and the main thing for him to know is that I am here for him regardless, anything he needs, wants to know, wants me to do for the team or whatever, I am here for him and hopefully we will be successful this season and that's what we want."

Arsenal have made contact with Bradley Barcola's camp as they bid to hijack Liverpool's move to sign the France forward, 23, from Paris St-Germain. (Give Me Sport), external

Liverpool could open the door for Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, 27, to join Tottenham if they secure one of their attacking targets. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter at Anfield

Image source, Getty Images

Andoni Iraola's first match in charge of Liverpool at Anfield ended with a 3-2 defeat to Monaco.

The Reds raced into a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Alexander Isak and the brilliance of Florian Wirtz but the French side came from behind and scored a late winner through Paris Brunner.

Iraola's side were boosted by the return of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo to the starting XI as the trio featured for the first time since this summer's World Cup.

But there was no Curtis Jones, who was out as a precaution with a hip problem.

Liverpool conclude their pre-season campaign with a friendly against Como next Sunday (6pm BST) at Anfield. The clubs will also contest a game earlier that same day behind closed doors, kicking off at 12pm BST.

Image source, Getty Images

Before Saturday's pre-season friendly against Monaco at Anfield, the Liverpool players gathered around the centre circle for a minutes' applause to pay tribute to legendary figure Kevin Keegan.

Keegan, who played for the Reds between 1971 and 1977, died at the age of 75 in July.

Tributes to Keegan were also left by fans outside the ground.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool are close to signing Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan from Barcelona.

The deal includes an option to buy Araujo, who is expected to have a medical on Sunday.

The 27-year-old centre-back has helped Barca win La Liga in three of the past four seasons, and ended last season as club captain.

Araujo is under contract until 2031 but only made 11 league starts last season, with Gerard Martin and Pau Cubarsi emerging as their preferred central defensive pairing.

What do you think of this business? Will is solve the needs Liverpool had at the back?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Addison, journalist and writer for Liverpool.com, spoke to Radio Merseyside about striker Alexander Isak and his fitness.

"I think people have forgotten how good he is to be honest," Addison said. "He's one of the best number nine's in the world, there's a reason Liverpool paid £125m for him.

"We know he doesn't have to adapt to the Premier League because he's done it before with Newcastle.

"The one question that there was last season was can he stay fit, or can he get himself fit, because he arrived and wasn't fit, and then broke his leg.

"If he stays fit for the full season, he's a 30-goal striker. It's purely down to his fitness."

Listen to the full discussion by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here

Image source, Getty Images

Journalist and writer for Liverpool.com, Matt Addison, joined Radio Merseyside to discuss the Reds' pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola.

"We've reached a point where they've just got to get it done," he explained.

"You can't do it for any kind of fee, PSG want what would be a British record fee for Liverpool to pay so I wouldn't expect them to go all the way to £145m/£150m which has been talked about in France.

"If you can do a deal between what they paid for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak I think that's probably about right for a player that has been a big part of a PSG team that's won the Champions League back to back.

"He's a very high quality and experienced player. I think it's a fair price to pay and there doesn't seem to be many other options out there on the market.

"He is the most attainable, realistic player that Liverpool can get who is at that top level."

Listen to Matt and get more Liverpool audio on BBC Sounds

Ian Mitchelmore
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool legend Ian Rush says Andoni Iraola must be given time to succeed at Anfield, having been appointed as the club's new head coach earlier this summer.

The 44-year-old was named as Arne Slot's successor in June and will oversee his first competitive match in charge of the club against Newcastle United on Sunday, 23 August.

Liverpool's all-time record goalscorer Rush believes the former Bournemouth boss must target winning a trophy in his debut season on Merseyside, but stressed the Spaniard should be given the opportunity to fully implement his methods.

"The first four or five games are going to be important," said Rush. "If you start well, that will give everyone the confidence to go on and be more successful."

When asked what would constitute success for Liverpool this season, he responded: "I've been asked that every year for 30 years and I always say winning the league - that's the standard at Liverpool.

"But no, he has to be given time. If we win a trophy that would be great, but if he is given time I'm sure he will deliver the goods."

Since Iraola's appointment, the Reds have brought in centre-back Jeremy Jacquet and winger Victor Munoz.

Having lost experienced players in left-back Andy Robertson, forward Mohamed Salah and central defender Ibrahima Konate over the summer, his squad remains in need of strengthening.

But Rush urged fans not to be concerned about the lack of transfers so far: "We would all like to make one or two more signings, but there is a time and a place for everything.

"We have got people coming back from injury so, if we can get them back fit, it might be okay. There are still a few weeks to go, so let's see what happens."

Read the full article here

Liverpool have no intention of pursuing a summer transfer move for Tottenham and England full-back Djed Spence, 25, despite their recent injury woes. (Mirror), external

The Reds have intensified discussions with 18-year-old Paris St-Germain and Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye's representatives after the teenager made it clear he wants to leave the French champions. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport