After an outstanding start to his career, Liverpool’s first acquisition of the post-Jurgen Klopp era may turn out to be a player the Reds had been chasing for several months
Alberto Moleiro, a star at Las Palmas, may be able to sign a contract with Liverpool at a reduced price. The Spanish team is reportedly willing to let go of the player for less than half the amount required to satisfy his release clause.
The 20-year-old Moleiro has contributed to La Liga’s unexpected success this year. Even as late as March, Garcia Pimenta’s freshly promoted team was ranked in the top half of the standings; however, a string of losses prevented them from having a dream chance to qualify for Europe.
With Michael Edwards returning to Anfield, Liverpool is preparing for a crucial summer in the transfer window. Edwards and newly appointed sporting director Richard Hughes will be responsible for handling the day-to-day operations that support the Reds following the departure of longtime manager Jurgen Klopp.
Moleiro, a Spain Under-21 international who assisted Las Palmas in gaining promotion in 2023, has options besides the Merseyside club. However, they still have a chance to outshine rival suitor Inter Milan thanks to their months of preparation.
Moleiro may be acquired with a bid of £21.5 million, according to AS (via Sport Witness). The midfielder last extended his contract while Las Palmas was still in the second division, thus that represents less than half of his £51.5 million release clause.
Moleiro, who has two goals and three assists in La Liga this season, can play as a wide forward or as a number 10. Despite losing fellow talent Pedri to Barcelona in 2020, he has helped his club succeed. However, sports director Luis Helguera has been candid about the club’s status and sporadic need to sell.
“We have no problem selling players like Pedri or like Moleiro or any other for that matter, because we truly believe in what we do, in the work we do, and in how we develop our players and how we provide them with the tools so they can grow,” Helguera stated in March. “Therefore, you will undoubtedly witness young players—the likes of 17, 18, or 16—playing for the first team very soon. We approach football in this way because that is how we interpret it here.”
Regarding the Pedri parallels, Moleiro remarked, “I feel proud, really proud, when people compare me with him, but we’re very different in the way we play.” “I do enjoy a lot of players, it is true. I enjoy Fermin and Pedri from FC Barcelona.
“Any football player who enjoys playing with the ball is someone I like to watch.” That’s something I always like, and it makes a lot of people stand out in the world.”
Moleiro may wind up becoming Liverpool’s first acquisition of the Arne Slot era after a compensation package is said to have been agreed with for the Feyenoord manager to succeed Klopp following the conclusion of the current campaign. But the next manager will also have to contend with the task of winning over the present group of experienced Reds.
“He must win over the boys,” Glen Johnson, a former Liverpool defender, said of Slot. “He needs to get their attention, get their belief as soon as possible.”
Although Liverpool and West Ham drew on Saturday, the dominant post-match narrative revolved around a falling out between Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp.
Just before Salah was substituted in against the Hammers, the Liverpool boss and the Reds’ standout player got into an argument on the touchline. This week, there has been a ton of conjecture over what transpired.
What then actually transpired? Michail Antonio, who was present at the scene, revealed what he overheard Klopp say to Salah over the weekend in an interview with the Footballer’s Football Podcast.
What Mohamed Salah heard from Jurgen Klopp
Antonio told everything he had learned about the occurrence.
In other words, while this isn’t insider knowledge, from what I’ve heard, the boys have been discussing this on the practice field. When a player enters the field, Klopp generally offers them a great hug; but, when Mo enters the field, he moves away and performs his shinpads and other tricks. After extending his hand and lingering for a while, Klopp slapped the man’s hand. That infuriated Klopp, who asked, “Do you want to sit back down?” which is code for “do you want to go on?” And no one has informed me of what Mo responded with,” Antonio stated.
Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah ought to move past this.
Although there was some drama in the exchange between Klopp and Salah, we don’t think it will last very long.
It seems like this was only a small amount of emotion that burst into a single instant as Liverpool battled on the field. Salah and Klopp should be able to get over this event and kiss each other after all these years together.
While Salah should be a little less prickly in these circumstances, we can also understand why he wasn’t exactly too concerned with thanking his manager while he was in the zone, about to enter a game that needed saving.
Reactions to the news that Arne Slot will be taking over at Liverpool have been mixed
Given that he has a £9 million compensation agreement with Feyenoord, Slot is well-known for his ability to motivate people and communicate effectively. Dutch football analyst Marcel Vanderkran points out that since he arrived at Feyenoord, he has developed a strong command over his teams due to his reputation for insisting on speaking English in the dressing room.
McCoist Evaluates Slot’s Prospects for the Premier League
Ally McCoist, commenting on talkSPORT, voiced doubts over Slot’s ability to succeed in the Premier League right away. The seasoned football analyst McCoist emphasized the historical challenges Dutch managers have had to overcome to win the Premier League. “No Dutchman has won the English Premier League,” he noted, highlighting the difficulty that Slot would face.
McCoist also questioned the typical overestimation of coaching performance in leagues with lower levels of competition than the Premier League. “Do we sometimes give too much credit to a coach’s performance in Holland, where the competition is far less intense?” he said. This mistrust also extends to Liverpool’s actual prospects of success, particularly in light of the possibility of significant player departures that might jeopardize Slot’s debut campaign.
Prospective Difficulties in Liverpool’s Transition
Discussing Liverpool’s internal dynamics, McCoist touched upon a recent sideline altercation involving Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah, claiming it indicated deeper concerns. McCoist said, “It didn’t look good and it did not send out a good message,” alluding to the difficulties Slot may encounter in a Liverpool team going through transition.
Notwithstanding these difficulties, Slot’s arrival coincides with Liverpool’s display of a bright young roster that might provide a strong base for the incoming manager. The talkSPORT conversation, which featured opinions from guests including Sha Custis and Henry Winter, highlighted the mix of challenges and opportunities that Slot will face.
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