Liverpool

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

On Friday, we asked you to submit questions for a special Q&A with our Liverpool reporter Aadam Patel and his replies to some of those questions will appear on our dedicated Reds page later this week.

One question submitted by Jack caught our eye as one to do a little bit more digging into the statistics:

How does Liverpool's title defence this season compare to Leicester City's in 2016-17 and Liverpool's last one in 2020-21? To see how bad it has actually been.

Well, this is the 34th season to be played since the inception of the Premier League and there have so far been 11 successful title defences.

Plenty of teams have struggled in the season after lifting the trophy, too.

In the Premier League era, the biggest drop-off in points between a title-winning campaign and the next season is 37, an unwanted record shared by Chelsea (2015-16) and Leicester City (2016-17).

Liverpool will not trouble that record this season. They gained 84 points in 2024-25 and have 49 so far this term - a difference of 35 points with seven games left to play.

In their 2020-21 defence, Jurgen Klopp's Reds ended third with 69 points - 30 fewer than the tally they amassed to win the title.

Leicester's final position of 12th in 2016-17 is the lowest achieved by a defending Premier League champion - although it is worth mentioning that Leeds United, who were reigning First Division champions going in the Premier League's inaugural season, finished 17th and two points above the relegation zone in 1992-93.

Blackburn Rovers (1995-96) and Manchester United (2013-14) both finished seventh in seasons immediately after they respectively won the Premier League.

If you are a Liverpool fan in need of a bit of hope, reversing a slide from a Premier League title success can be - and has been - done before. Chelsea, defending their title in 2015-16, finished 10th but roared back to become champions again the following season.

Image source, PA Media

Florian Wirtz believes he is "stronger" for experiencing a tough start to his Liverpool career after joining from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for a fee that could rise to £116m.

The 22-year-old midfielder did not score his first goal for the Reds until the home win against Wolves on 27 December, which was the first in a run of six goals in 10 games for the Germany international.

"It [the first few months at Liverpool] wasn't an easy phase," Wirtz told German television show Sportschau.

"It's sometimes good that things don't always go upwards and that you experience a dip and grow stronger because of it.

"That's how I see it now as well - it has made me a bit stronger. I had to overcome resistance and adapt. I had to learn to become stronger and hold onto the ball."

Wirtz scored twice and set up the other two goals in Germany's 4-3 friendly win against Switzerland on Friday.

Image source, Getty Images

It was announced last week that Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years at Anfield.

Though his departure was not totally unexpected, the reaction has reflected the bond Salah has built with the Reds' supporters and the city of Liverpool - so how do they move on?

On BBC World Service's More Than The Score podcast, Liverpool fan Abigail Rudkin said of her reaction to the announcement: "I had the exact same feeling and reaction to when I found out Jurgen Klopp was leaving [in 2024]. It was that sort of 'end of an era', really sad feeling.

"The thing when Jurgen left was none of us were expecting that sort of video of him saying he'd run out of energy and he'd had enough, whereas with Mo, he's such a determined player and I felt as though he thought he still had the quality to play in the Premier League much longer.

"It was sort of expected with how the situation was going with the manager [Arne Slot], but I wasn't expecting it to come out until the summer. For it to come out before the season's even ended was really sad.

"To be honest, because this season's not gone very well, you don't really think about everything he's done until you find out it's coming to an end. I sat there all night watching compilations of Salah, his goals and everything he's achieved in the past nine years.

"I felt like I was going to cry because you just don't realise what you had until it's gone."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds or click the play button below

The latest news and views on the Reds in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Mohamed Salah's decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season is the right one for all parties involved.

The Egyptian is the greatest Liverpool player of my lifetime. I am 36 so I did not see Kenny Dalglish play. Since 1990, Luis Suarez is the best footballer I have watched, Steven Gerrard is the most legendary for his big moments and leadership, but Salah is the greatest.

This season, however, he has hit a very noticeable decline. Salah has lost all of his pace. He used to be the fastest player on any pitch he stepped on to. Now, he is one of the slowest.

Last season, at points when I thought he was the best player in the world, he compensated for his declining speed with ruthless, composed play in the box. But he is now overthinking everything inside the penalty area.

He is not the only top player to endure a poor Liverpool season; most of them have. Salah turns 34 in June so it should not be too much of a surprise. It is rare for wing-forwards who rely on brilliant physical attributes to still be elite at his age.

Salah deserves an epic send-off at the end of this term. If anything, the football world has underrated his brilliance over the past decade.

The numbers do not lie. A genuine all-time great. And easily the best right-winger in Premier League history.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

Image source, Getty Images

Egypt's national team director Ibrahim Hassan says he wants to see Mohamed Salah remain in Europe and has warned the Liverpool forward against a move to Major League Soccer in the United States.

MLS commissioner Don Garber has said he would love to see Salah in the league, though it is unclear whether any MLS teams will attempt to sign him.

"I would prefer him to stay in Europe," Hassan told On Sports. "I have heard about offers from Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich and clubs in the Italian league.

"A move to the Major League? He would be far too out of the spotlight. You won't remember Salah any more than I remember [Lionel] Messi now. I don't even try to watch him."

"If he does not receive offers from Europe, then a move to the Saudi league would be a good option, especially with big names such as Cristiano [Ronaldo]," Hassan added.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Mohamed Salah is an "all-time great" at Anfield and that he "would not be surprised if he plays another six or seven years" after the forward announced he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich are monitoring Crystal Palace's 25-year-old France defender Maxence Lacroix. (Teamtalk), external

The Reds and Newcastle United are interested in Sporting's Colombia striker Luis Suarez, 28. (Correio da Manha - in Portuguese), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

It's still eight days until Liverpool play again but it's hardly been quiet at Anfield so far over the international break.

The towering figure of Mohamed Salah announced he will leave the club at the end of the season, sparking an outpouring of emotion and tributes to one of the club's greatest players.

Elsewhere, Liverpool announced they are raising ticket prices for next season for only the second time in a decade, and Champions League quarter-final opponents Paris St-Germain have managed to get their Ligue 1 title showdown against Lens, which was scheduled to take place between the two legs, postponed.

In the background, there remains questions over Arne Slot's future and, immediately, how he can use the break to prepare for the run-in as Liverpool try to salvage a season that has disappointed for so long but still has the potential to end on such a high.

Over the weekend, we want you to send in your questions on the Reds for our Liverpool reporter Aadam Patel.

Use the link below to submit and come back to this page next week to find his replies.

Get in touch with your question here

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool captain Andy Robertson says team-mate Mohamed Salah "pretty much carried us on his back at times" during last season's Premier League title victory.

Reflecting on the recent announcement of Salah's planned departure at the end of the season, Robertson referred to the Egyptian as his "close friend" as well as a club "legend".

Reds and Scotland defender Robertson said: "I've probably run out of words to say about Mo. Fantastic player. Unbelievable what he's done.

"Our football club obviously signed me the same summer and just being able to see him grow as a player, grow into one of the best in the world, how professional he is - it's been a joy to watch.

"Even if you look back at last season, he pretty much carried us on his back at times.

"I suppose all good things have to come to an end and Mo's made the decision that it would be this summer. Obviously I'll fully support him on that.

"I don't think there's any doubt of how much of a legend he is at the football club. He's in the conversation of best players ever to play for the football club.

"To be able to call him a team-mate, but also call him a friend - and he's been a close friend - of mine for the last nine years.

"It's an absolute privilege to play for him."

Robertson is out of contract this summer and, asked at the Scotland news conference about his future at Anfield, he said: "My thoughts will stay private, they always have.

"There's been a lot of discussions had internally. I've always got to work out what me and my family want and that's always been consistent. We know the end of the season is coming and obviously we'll need to make a decision soon."

Lee Hawthorn
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Liverpool FC via Getty Images

When Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017, the Premier League was naturally a very different place to the one we know in 2026.

Since the announcement of his departure, social media has been filled with TV broadcaster graphics featuring the stars of seasons gone by, including Salah alongside the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Harry Kane and Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang.

Casting an eye back to the close of play on the 2016-17 season, there is a lot more to think about than just those star names.

Liverpool finished fourth in Jurgen Klopp's first full season in charge, having come eighth the season before.

Philippe Coutinho had the most league goal contributions, with 13 goals and seven assists, and Sadio Mane was named in the PFA Team of the Season in his debut campaign at Anfield.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Wilson were among academy graduates to make appearances for a side being captained by Jordan Henderson.

Elsewhere, Salah's former club Chelsea had just been crowned Premier League champions under Antonio Conte, in what proved to be long-time captain John Terry's final season with the club.

Manchester City and Manchester United had each spent a year under the management of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho respectively, Olivier Giroud had just scored his iconic scorpion kick for Arsenal against Crystal Palace and Everton's 25-goals-a-season striker Romelu Lukaku was about to leave for Old Trafford.

The team with the most jarring difference between 2016-17 and 2025-26 is almost certainly Tottenham. Kane won the Premier League's Golden Boot in 2016-17 as Spurs finished second behind Chelsea.

Middlesbrough,Sunderland and Hull City were the three sides relegated from the top flight in 2017, to be replaced by Newcastle,Brighton and Huddersfield Town.

And also, they did not yet have VAR in the Premier League back then.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Mohamed Salah is an "all-time great" and his legacy at the club will be difficult to top.

Klopp, who signed Salah from Roma in 2017 for £34m, managed the forward - who has announced he will leave Anfield in the summer - for his first seven seasons at the club.

Salah has scored 255 goals for Liverpool, putting him third on the club's all-time scorer list.

"In the moment when you work with him, it is the same as every other player: 'You can't lose the ball here, you have to defend here', all these kind of things," Klopp told The Anfield Wrap, external.

"But with the bigger view, it is just ridiculous. Unmatched numbers. Will we be talking in 10 years and someone else has them? [Hugo] Ekitike or whoever? I think it will be really difficult [to surpass Salah]."

Under Klopp, Salah won the Champions League, Premier League, three domestic cups, the Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

The majority of those trophies came with Salah on the right flank of a front three consisting of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

"He [Salah] was part of the best front three in world football for a long time - the one with the most numbers. That says something," the German added.

"It is not easy to be slightly above the other two guys. They all had their specific skills, but Mo was the one for the final moment. He wanted it more than anybody.

"Sadio was a mix of both - he wanted to score goals but could even play in midfield. Bobby was the genius who didn't care about anything.

"Mo was the one with a goal always in his mind. You cannot train that or learn it. It is inside him, and he has that. He will have it until the last day of his life."

Read more of Klopp's quotes on Salah

Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given has said there does not seem to be "any urgency" in Liverpool's play and there are elements of their performances that have been "half-hearted".

The spotlight was back on Arne Slot following their 10th Premier League defeat of the season at Brighton on Saturday. The Reds have gained just one point from their past three league games.

"Everything they do looks a bit lacklustre, from an attacking point of view to the defensive side," said Given on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "It's kind of 'we'll half-heartedly try to block this cross' and 'we'll half-heartedly try to block the striker trying to get in front of us' and 'someone else will do my job'.

"There doesn't seem any urgency at all and I don't know what the answer is.

"Liverpool are renowned for not sacking managers - in fact, they are the opposite and they really support their managers.

"They've only won the league twice in 30-odd years and Slot is one of the guys to do that. A few months back, he was a hero.

"If they miss out on Champions League qualification, there will be serious question marks at the end of the season."

Watch this week's full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Bayern Munich have dismissed claims that forward Michael Olise will be allowed to join Liverpool, even if a record fee of more than £170m is offered for the 24-year-old France international. (Talksport), external

Liverpool are looking to sign 26-year-old Senegal forward Iliman Ndiaye from their city rivals Everton. (Teamtalk), external

Sunderland could face a battle to keep on-loan RB Leipzig utility player Lutsharel Geertruida at the club next term, with Liverpool, Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham and Crystal Palace all interested in the 25-year-old Netherlands international. (Teamtalk), external

Pat Nevin believes there is a 'heartless' reason Liverpool vice-captain and Scotland captain Andy Robertson won't get a dream move to Celtic this summer. (Liverpool Echo), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Liverpool fan Courtney Neary was "shocked but not surprised" by Mohamed Salah's announcement that he is leaving at the end of the season.

Neary told BBC Radio Merseyside: "He was the start of the turnaround for the club with [Jurgen] Klopp.

"When I was a kid growing up, I didn't see much success - only really Istanbul [in 2005] which I can't complain at, but when we had Klopp there you started to feel a bit more positive and then Salah has been an unstoppable force most of the time.

"He's been the most consistent and reliable player a lot of the time and he was the start of the magic we've had over the past few years."

Explore Liverpool content on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Before Mohamed Salah announced he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years at the club, we asked for your views on whether the international break has come at a good time for the Reds - and we thought you'd still want to read some of your comments!

So here is a selection:

James: It will help if they get Slot out! Lost the players and fans! Getting embarrassing now!

Dan: In terms of injuries, giving Salah and Alisson time to come back - if possible - will help. But deeper problems with tactical decisions and a lack of depth of the existing squad won't be improved in two weeks. Huge quarter-finals on the return could define the rest of this season's run-in.

Jay: International break good for the fans to get over the rubbish we have had to watch lately. For players and management, a two-week break is just delaying the inevitable of players missing out on Europe and the manager keeping his job.

Fraser: I would like to think it would help us and I hope it does. But realistically, I don't think it will make much difference. We've been all over the place this season. Every fix Slot has tried hasn't worked, we play very slow and boring football and the results aren't going our way. This season was his season to shine and show he could adapt in a changing league, unfortunately he has failed that test. I hate to say it, but we need to move on from him in the summer.

Tony: It gives us the chance to get injured players fit and back, and for Slot to reconsider his formation, personnel, tactics, approach and substitutions. Not that he'll take it. He seems intent on this slow, predictable, possession game and only introducing substitutes once we have gone behind and are chasing the game. PSG will knock us out of the Champions League, Manchester City will knock us out of the FA Cup and we'll be lucky to finish in the top seven.

Ben: I don't think it will make much difference. Liverpool often play badly after an international break. The only advantage is that it'll allow the injured players time to recover before the next lot of games. I could be wrong but we shall see. With big season-defining games coming up against Manchester City and PSG, they really need to not be their post-international break selves.

Carlo: Unfortunately I think it will neither help or hinder Liverpool. The inconsistency throughout this season has become a theme. There is clearly something fundamentally wrong at Liverpool this season. So many players are not performing and poor selections from the manager have cost Liverpool.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool have raised ticket prices for the 2026-27 season.

Adult general admission ticket prices will rise between £1.25 and £1.75 per ticket, while adult season tickets will increase by between £21.50 and £27.

The last rise was before the 23-24 campaign after eight consecutive seasons of price freezes.

A statement from the club read: "Any pricing changes will be in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual inflation rate from January of that year. This means that the inflation rate used for 2026-27 pricing changes will be based on the 12-month CPI rate to January 2026, which was 3%. There will also be a cap placed on the level of pricing increases related to CPI to be applied annually over the next three seasons, up to a maximum of 5%.

"The Supporters Board has been clear from the outset that its wish was for a ticket price freeze for two seasons, in line with the Football Supporters' Association campaign against ticket price increases.

"However, after careful consideration across several meetings, the club decided this was not considered viable in the highly competitive environment it operates within, as it continues to invest on and off the pitch, and rising costs across the club that are outside of its control."

Al-Ittihad had a £150m offer rejected for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah in 2023 and now the Saudi Pro League side have revived their interest in the 33-year-old Egypt international, who will be available on a free transfer after leaving the Reds in the summer. (ESPN), external

Salah did not get the interest in his services he might have hoped for in the January transfer window and, in negotiating his departure this summer, Liverpool's owners - Fenway Sports Group - thought holding out for a fee would make a difficult situation worse. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Liverpool have been in regular contact with former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, who won the Champions League with the Anfield club as a player, and the Spaniard would be willing to take over from Arne Slot in the summer if certain conditions are met. (Bild - in German), external

Liverpool have been linked with replacing Salah with France winger Michael Olise but Bayern Munich are "relaxed" about the 24-year-old's future as he is under contract until 2029 and does not have a release clause. (Sport Bild - in German), external

Barcelona are keen on Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni but could face competition from Liverpool in any contest for the 26-year-old's signature. (Football Italia), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport