Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Aadam Patel has been answering some of your latest transfer window questions.

Rodney asked: Is Gakpo going to Tottenham?

Aadam said: We reported in June that a number of clubs including Spurs were monitoring Cody Gakpo's situation at Liverpool.

The interest is certainly genuine for a player who has proven it in the Premier League but the reality is that unless Liverpool bring in more players and Tottenham were to make an offer in excess of £60m, Gakpo stays put.

The Dutch international's contract at Anfield is until 2030 and despite a below-par season last time out, those at Liverpool still view him as a proven multi-functional attacker. Besides, Andoni Iraola does not want to weaken his squad.

Right now, a move to Spurs looks unlikely but if Liverpool are successful in their pursuit of Bradley Barcola, who primarily operates down the left flank, then this will be one to keep an eye on.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool signing Ronald Araujo is a low-risk move that makes lots of sense, says Reds fan and author Adam Beattie.

The versatile Uruguay defender has joined Liverpool on a season-long loan from Barcelona, and Beattie believes the 27-year-old can hit the ground running at Anfield despite struggling in Spain for the past three years.

"I think it makes loads of sense to be honest," Beattie said. "I think it's one that's come a little bit from left-field, like most of the signings this summer, which gives me a bit of confidence that we'll get the things done that we still need to do.

"He's been Barcelona's captain which is obviously a huge deal over there, he's had his issues last summer as well but we've kind of picked up players who have had various problems with different managers and stuff and they've come in and hit the ground running again at Liverpool.

"The fact that he can play in two positions at right-back and centre-back is really helpful because we definitely needed at least one of them filled before the end of the window. Someone with experience, it's low-risk because he's on loan and if he's no good we can just say 'see you later' or if he is, we could pay the fee or negotiate a deal.

"We've got two or three young lads who obviously have huge futures but it would be a little bit unfair to just chuck them in; especially with [Jeremy] Jacquet's and [Giovanni] Leoni's injuries last year.

"So, a 27-year-old who's played loads of Champions League football just makes loads of sense."

Listen to more from Beattie below or on BBC Sounds here

Liverpool fans consider the club to have a specific set of values, centred around its working-class roots.

When FSG attempted to raise season ticket prices last season, fans' group Spirit of Shankly (SOS) launched a campaign called 'Not a Pound in the Ground'.

It urged fans to buy food and drink from local businesses in the Anfield area rather than inside the stadium. It worked, forcing the club to cut the size of their planned price rise.

SOS has doubts about the proposed investment and has raised a number of concerns.

"We would like to know what the buying consortium will get in return for their 30% stake," an SOS spokesperson told BBC Sport.

"Specifically, what would be the level of involvement in the control of the club and will they take a seat or seats on the board?

"And of huge importance, what due diligence is being done on the potential consortium of investors?

"Does this potential consortium have the best interests of the club at the forefront or is it a 'trophy' buy?"

• Read more on the potential sale of a share in Liverpool

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Paris St-Germain boss Luis Enrique sidestepped a question on Liverpool target Bradley Barcola's future.

The forward is wanted by the Reds with the club prepared to pay around £100m to bring the 23-year-old to Anfield.

Barcola is in the PSG squad to face Aston Villa in the Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday.

"I don't know and I don't want to speak about any player individually," Enrique said when asked about Barcola's future.

"Because it's always dangerous when you are asking something positive or negative about a player. I stay focused on my team."

Barcola moved to PSG from Lyon in 2023 for a reported £38.5m and has since also won three Ligue 1 titles, the French Cup twice, as well as the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Intercontinental Cup.

PSG also have Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and France's Desire Doue as wide options meaning Barcola's playing time would be increased with a move to Merseyside.

Aadam Patel and Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool's first pre-season under new boss Andoni Iraola has not been without its challenges - but one reason for optimism is the emergence of 18-year-old defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

Iraola's side are short of numbers in central defence, so Austrian teenager Ndukwe has been handed more minutes than even he might have expected.

With two lots of 90 minutes and an 80-minute display already under his belt, Ndukwe was handed a start alongside captain Virgil van Dijk against Monaco at Anfield on Sunday.

And it didn't take long for the imposing 6ft 6in (1.98m) youngster to draw gasps from the crowd after a neat backheel to wrong-foot Monaco's Mika Biereth, before winning important defensive duels.

After the departure of France international Ibrahima Konate, it remains unclear who will partner Van Dijk in Liverpool's opening Premier League game against Newcastle.

But it won't be Ndukwe.

Post-Brexit rules mean he is not allowed to play for Liverpool in a competitive game in 2026 because he didn't reach the points target required to qualify for a UK work permit - meaning he can only play in friendly matches.

Since Brexit, and with the UK no longer part of the European Union, clubs now have to navigate a more complex work permit system to ensure players - especially those who are yet to establish themselves at the top level - are able to move to England.

Austria youth international Ndukwe doesn't currently have enough points to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to obtain a work visa.

There is another route into the squad, through taking up an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slot, which is awarded to foreign players who do not qualify for the standard GBE.

Premier League and Championship clubs have up to four ESC places available, based on the percentage of minutes clubs gave to their England Qualified Players (EQP) in the previous campaign.

But clubs are not entitled to all four spots automatically.

The magic number is 35% of minutes, which means clubs can use four ESC players. Dropping below that begins to reduce the number of ESC slots available.

Liverpool's percentage last season means they only get one ESC place, which has already been taken by Senegalese 18-year-old Mor Talla Ndiaye.

Read more here on the next steps for Ndukwe

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Florian Wirtz believes that he is "more ready" and "really excited" for his second season in the Premier League after settling in during his first campaign at Liverpool.

Wirtz made the move from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £116m last summer and scored seven goals and provided 10 assists in what was an underwhelming campaign overall for Liverpool under Arne Slot.

"I definitely learned a lot. I just learned how Premier League football is played and I think I am more ready for my second season because I know how it is now. I am really excited for my next season," said Wirtz.

"I've played one year now in England and I've said often enough that it's a different style of football than in Germany. You just get used to the games and your opponents. I just know how it is now, so I'm happy to have my next season."

Asked to assess his first season, Wirtz said: "It's a difficult question but of course there were some games when I wasn't happy with myself, but also a lot of games when I felt good on the pitch. Last season was difficult for the whole club but hopefully we have the right energy and mentality this season, so every player can shine more."

The 23-year-old also revealed that he has had conversations about his role under Andoni Iraola and that Iraola is keen for him to play behind the striker. During the pre-season tour of the USA, the Liverpool boss said Wirtz was "quite complete" as a player.

"We spoke about this (No. 10 role) because I think it is important to know which position you are going to play and I know that I can probably play different positions but number 10 is my favourite and my best position, so let's see how this works out," said Wirtz.

On Iraola, Wirtz added: "I think especially in the last three years at Bournemouth you could see what he can do with a team. Of course we are looking forward to working with him and for the few weeks, for me, it is only two weeks that I have been in training, so I can just say that I am enjoying it. I like the idea of football he has, so I am really looking forward to it.

"We want to win more games and to compete for all the titles we can play for. I think we have to get more intensity into our game and at times more control with the ball.'

This is your Liverpool page. Follow it and come back for fan views, the latest news, stats, audio and more.

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The fourth-richest man in the world is trying to buy a stake in your club. Surely that has to be good news?

Yet Liverpool fans, who still bear the scars of the Tom Hicks and George Gillette era, are viewing the potential high-profile investment cautiously.

The man in question is billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who is part of a consortium that is in advanced talks to buy a 30% stake in the club.

Bezos, according to Forbes, has a personal fortune of about $257bn (£190bn).

To put that into context, last year Liverpool announced record revenues of £703m - but Bezos is worth 270 times that.

Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon five years ago but remains one of the company's biggest shareholders.

He also owns aerospace company Blue Origin, venture capital firm Nash Holdings and the Washington Post. More recently he created Prometheus, an artificial intelligence company which last month invested £330m in a British AI start-up.

As if to underline the scale of his financial resources, only last week he filed to sell 15 million of his remaining Amazon shares with a market value of about £3.1bn - double the value of the consortium's offer for a stake in Liverpool.

Bezos has been linked with sports investment for some time, but usually American sports franchises which are either more expensive or not open to offers.

He was reportedly interested in the Seattle Seahawks, who were sold for £7.3bn, external recently. The Washington Commanders, another NFL franchise said to be of interest, were sold for £4.6bn in 2023.

Buying a stake in Liverpool would give the 62-year-old a slice of one of the most iconic global sports brands for a small fraction of his fortune.

But would Liverpool be a status symbol or a true investment?

It is not as if Liverpool are unknown in the United States, either. Research company GWI has reported that Liverpool have 26 million supporters in the US, and the fastest-growing fan base.

It is no surprise, then, that the Reds had their pre-season tour in the States.

The deal would continue a theme of US investment into the Premier League, with 11 of the 20 teams this season having majority control from America - Liverpool included.

Read the full article here

Aadam Patel and Elizabeth Conway
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

The structure of the deal for Ronald Araujo reflects Liverpool's need to solve an immediate problem rather than make a long-term commitment - at this stage.

They wanted a defender who could operate both at centre-back and right-back, and Araujo's versatility and physical profile made him an attractive option.

The timing is particularly significant. Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are all injured, while new signing Jeremy Jacquet has yet to feature in pre-season.

With Ibrahima Konate leaving for Real Madrid in the summer, Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool's only fit senior centre-back, making the need for reinforcements increasingly obvious.

Liverpool still believe that their stock of centre-backs will serve them well for the coming season and beyond. Jacquet, Leoni, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe are all emerging players in the position.

But Araujo, with his strength, pace and experience at one of Europe's top clubs, was viewed as a player capable of helping Liverpool through that period. His leadership capabilities were also seen as a positive factor. He will wear the number 33 shirt.

At Barcelona, not only did his acceleration allow them to defend a high line with confidence but, at 6ft 4in (1.93m) tall, his frame made him a formidable presence in physical contests and aerial duels.

• Read more on the deal

Football finance expert Stefan Borson says the consortium comprising of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is "one of the wealthiest to have ever gone after a football club".

BBC Sport has been told the group have advanced its talks to buy about a 30% stake in Liverpool.

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

"I don't think there's any suggestion of a full sale yet," said Borson on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "But we have to be realistic.

"It is one of the wealthiest consortium's that have ever gone after a football club.

"I suspect their long-term plan is not to be a 30% shareholder of Liverpool and this will be the first step in what will in the next few years a move to have the majority of the club.

"It is an interesting development. When clubs are generating around a billion dollars of revenue, it puts you at six billion dollars valuation. The only people that can afford that are people who have wealth in a consortium worth over 100 billion dollars.

"Liverpool has been a hugely successful investment for FSG. They bought it for around £300m, whilst in distress at the time, and the club is now valued at nearer £5bn.

"FSG have done everything right. The club has grown very aggressively over the last few years.

"There is a scarcity to the value of Liverpool because they arguably one of the top five club's on this planet."

Listen to Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

On Sunday at Anfield against Monaco, Andoni Iraola was very honest after their 3-2 defeat.

Two weeks out from the start of the Premier League campaign, Iraola's verdict was that his side had "work to do" because they could not sustain the level that he wanted for the duration of a game.

Iraola said that his side played a good first 30 minutes but "they don't have much more, in terms of the levels required to play like this".

Iraola's comments were certainly concerning but he has had less than a month to work with his players and only a week or so with some. The signs are there that this team will entertain but as Iraola pointed out in Chicago, after their 4-2 friendly defeat to Leeds United, it will take time.

"I would like to say, no, on the first day, we are going to be perfect, everyone will be in place, but probably it is not going to be like this," he said, when asked if it would take a while before fully seeing his style of play. "We will have to do this as quickly as possible."

Watch the team on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club discuss the comments below or listen to the full show here.

Image source, Getty Images

All 20 Premier League clubs have to submit a squad list consisting of no more than 25 senior players.

The full list of every team's registered squad is published by the Premier League shortly after the closure of each transfer window.

As part of that squad, clubs can register a maximum of 17 players not classed as a 'homegrown player'.

A homegrown player is a player who, regardless of their nationality or age, has been affiliated with any English or Welsh club for a period of three entire seasons or 36 months before their 21st birthday.

The same rules apply to players who have three seasons or 36 months as a registered player prior to the end of the season in which that player turns 21.

A club's Under-21 players are not included on the 25-man squad lists.

An example of this is Chelsea's Brazilian striker Joao Pedro. The 23-year-old, born in Sao Paulo, joined Watford in 2020 aged 18. Because he spent three consecutive years before turning 21 in England, he is considered homegrown.

Ronald Araujo is the 17th senior non-homegrown player, which hits the limit.

With Liverpool also pushing to sign French winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint‑Germain, it's now effectively a one‑in, one‑out situation at Anfield.

Image source, Getty Images

Ronald Araujo says he expects his attributes to suit the Premier League perfectly after securing a season-long loan move from Barcelona to Liverpool.

The deal for the 27-year-old centre-back - a three-time La Liga winner who can also play right-back - includes an option to buy.

"I can't wait to get started," Araujo said. "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 my attributes will suit this league down to the ground. I think the style of play in the English league should be perfect for my qualities as a player. It's a league I've wanted to play in for a long time."

Araujo says his "sincere, frank and honest conversation" with Reds manager Andoni Iraola was "great" and a big factor in his decision to join.

"I was very happy to have that chat with him and it made it even more plain that I should be coming here," Araujo added.

"He knows me well, he knows what I'm capable of doing, so I think he knows what I can provide both on the field and off it.

"Without a shadow of a doubt, the aim is to win trophies, win things. Liverpool is a team that is competing on all levels for all trophies, so we need to be battling it out on all fronts.

"You aim high at a club like this – that's what we'll all be doing. That's the main aim of the players and I'm sure it is of everyone at the club and the supporters as well."

Bradley Barcola, 23, has given the green light to Liverpooldespite Arsenalmaking a late move for the Paris St-Germain and France forward, who is valued at about £130m. (Sun, external)

Atletico Madrid have launched a bid of 35m euro (£30m) for Lille's21-year-old Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who is also attracting interest from Arsenal and Liverpool. (L'Equipe - in French, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Spanish football commentator Alvaro Romeo says Ronald Araujo can be a "very good asset" for Liverpool if he regains his form of three years ago.

The Reds have signed the 27-year-old defender on a season-long loan from Barcelona, with an option to buy.

The Uruguay international helped Barca win La Liga in three of the past four seasons, and ended last campaign as club captain, but Gerard Martin and Pau Cubarsi have emerged as Hansi Flick's preferred central-defensive pairing.

"Three years ago, when Barcelona won the league under Xavi Hernandez, Araujo was a colossus," Romeo told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He was phenomenal in defence and the best defender in La Liga by far.

"But then after he got injuries, a little bit of absent-mindedness, in some moments he lost concentration.

"If he can regain that, which is not impossible in my opinion, then he's going to be a very good asset for Liverpool.

"I think he can help, especially if he is playing alongside someone like Virgil van Dijk who can obviously make you a better player too."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Ronald Araujo as the defender has joined Liverpool on a season-long loan from Barcelona.

Here are some of your comments:

Steve: No brainer. If he's from Barca, he can play. If he's from Uruguay, he will add the steel we have been lacking... and he can play right back.

James: Very happy! Definitely needed strengthening in centre. May have the odd mistake in him, but show me a centre back who is perfect throughout the entire season. Prove himself this year, then purchase for about £45m. Can then be the transition period covered between Virgil van Dijk and rise of the young CBs we already have on the books. Now we just need another Uruguayan to help him settle into the squad… Come home, Darwin!

Matt: Great move. We need some experienced defenders while we settle our new young defenders in. A year loan with an option to buy is perfect for this. Especially as he also plays right-back. We can see how the season goes, both with him and with the young players, then decide whether to sign permanently. I would like to see us sign one (or even two) more experienced, versatile defenders on a year loan with an option to buy. Then our lack of defensive options will finally be sorted.

Dan: He seems to get fairly frequently inured for periods of days or weeks. Maybe that's why he's not getting the games anymore and why he can't be the most suitable option out there.

Adrian: I think it's a sensible move on the part of the transfer team. Araujo may not have Premier League experience but he does have experience of playing at the highest levels of football. If he flunks this season, we send him back at a minimal loss and if he excels, we get a good international defender with a year of EPL experience for a decent price.

Mike: Araujo will be the loan of the season, mark my words.

Sukie: We are loaning a player who has a poor disciplinary record and gets injured a lot. At Barca - 30+ yellow cards and six red cards. He's had over 16 different injuries since 2020 at Barca. Missed roughly 20-25% of their games. He's still recovering from a calf muscle tear he got before the World Cup, so not match fit. Arthur Melo 2.0? The loan money should be spent elsewhere. In the meantime, Joe Gomez is injured, Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet are still recovering/not match fit. CB/RB position is still a major concern.

Vardon: The Araujo move isn't a surprise from the perspective of Liverpool desperately needing reinforcement in their defense. Out of favour, and on a loan with no obligation to buy is good business sense, but his dramatic drop off in form at Barca is a concern. If he applies himself well it could be an excellent signing, but fans won't exactly be jumping for joy...

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.