Liverpool

Liverpool fans have become increasingly frustrated with plans to increase ticket prices across each of the next three seasons.

Gareth Roberts, from The Spirit of Shankly, spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside about the issue.

"The Supporters' Board met with the club on a number of occasions. With 115 supporter organisations across the country, representing every Premier League club, we asked for a two-year price freeze in line with the current broadcast deal and we said sit down at the table as a collective and let's talk about ending annual price hikes for normal fans," he said.

"Let's see if we can get clubs to agree in a similar manner to how they did with the away price cap. Let's end them going up year after year and pricing people out and pricing communities out."

Roberts said the club listened to their views and said their plan was to "put the prices up every year for the next three years", which he felt was "the other end of the spectrum and very disappointing".

According to Roberts, no other Premier League club has ever done that before.

He added they have repeatedly written to the club who "are not changing their position on this" and some supporters think this is wrong.

Roberts was keen to emphasise his feeling that Liverpool putting their ticket prices up for consecutive three years will mean "other clubs will go and do the same".

There will be a protest in the 13th minute of Liverpool's game against Crystal Palace on Saturday (15:00 BST) with fans being given yellow cards to raise in a "very peaceful way to say there are a lot of people who disagree with this".

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After the news that Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup - and likely the start of next season - following a rupture of the Achilles tendon during Liverpool's Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain, BBC Sport has spoken to sports physiotherapist Ben Warburton to discuss what the recovery process will look like.

23-year-old Ekitike joined the Reds from Eintracht Frankfurt last July and had been one of their standout performers in a difficult season for the club, with 17 goals and six assists in all competitions.

"It is a very unfortunate injury and one which will always take time to be 'fit to play' medically, then 'fit to play well' from a conditioning and match sharpness perspective," Warburton explained.

"Luckily, Ekitike is young and healthy so it's more likely than not he'll heal well.

"The first thing with any long-term injury is overcoming the mental side of things.

"Once the player intrinsically comes to terms with the time they'll be out of football, then things improve. They accept they're injured and that they are unable to play, so they need to then switch their focus to rehab and all the gym work that comes with it.

"Once they accept their new goal and that they're job is to 'rehab themselves', rehab becomes more successful and acceptance is the first step. It gives players a great opportunity to work on aspects of fitness you can't do when you're playing week to week, as well as being a good influence around the training ground with the academy or younger players.

"Injured players can still contribute in meetings as their knowledge can be so helpful to a team.

"Once this mental switch happens and there's no grief, it's all about putting the hours in within the gym. I'm sure the Liverpool medical staff will be looking at nutrition, supplementation, good lifestyle choices and oxygen (hyperbaric) therapy to optimise the healing process.

"But, despite all this, it's the correct gym programming and execution that will ultimately get him back, and you can't shy away from hard work - even despite covering the other bases mentioned."

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Anfield (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• In terms of goalkeeper availability, Giorgi Mamardashvili will "definitely not" feature but Alisson is "close to returning". This weekend's fixture might come "too early" for the Brazil international, but Freddie Woodman is a "fully fit" option.

• He added: "We signed an experienced third goalkeeper for this very reason. You don't usually need them that much, but there is always a situation where you do. Apart from being a good goalkeeper, he is a very good man, he is very liked in the dressing room and he is always ready to play."

• The club is looking into the muscle injuries Alisson is experiencing and for ways to manage his "training programme and playing schedule" moving forward.

• Joe Gomez is back in the squad but isn't training with the first-team yet. Instead, the centre-back is "doing exercises with the rehab team on the pitches". It is hoped he will be back in contention before the end of this season.

• On Hugo Ekitike's season-ending Achilles injury: "His surgery went well. It was an important step he needed to take. It will be a long rehab process for him. He is a very explosive player and usually that isn't very helpful when you have this kind of injury, but maybe he will be an exception."

• He highlighted Liverpool have been unable to beat Crystal Palace across their three meetings so far this season, adding he has done "a little bit extra" to try to find ways to claim all three points.

• On Oliver Glasner's side: "He is a great manager who has brought a lot of discipline to their team. It is really difficult to create chances against them, sometimes you can watch 60 minutes of their football and you won't have seen the other team create a chance. They are also very direct at the other end of the pitch. They have conceded the fewest goals after Arsenal as well, so that tells you a lot."

• Liverpool's record of 16 points in their past eight Premier League games is "acceptable".

• When asked about Mohamed Salah finding his goalscoring form again, he replied: "It's really important that our attackers score goals. If you look at our success last season, we had a number of attackers that scored a lot of goals. If you look at this season, there has been a little drop-off in chance creation but not so much that we shouldn't be scoring as many goals."

• The World Cup "will not hinder" Alexander Isak's efforts to get back up to full fitness and ability before the 2026-27 season. Slot explained: "He's had months without training in a team so that's why it hasn't been easy for him to get back up to speed, but we are seeing progress in each game. I don't know how far he is off his best level, but I hope for him that it's very soon."

Hear more from Slot on BBC Sounds here or by clicking play on the clip above

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Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid are keeping tabs on 26-year-old AC Milan and Portugal winger Rafael Leao, who is valued at about £60m. (Mail), external

Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande's agents have already held discussions with Liverpool and Paris St-Germain, but RB Leipzig are keen on keeping the 19-year-old at the club for at least one more season. (Bild - in German), external

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Liverpool legend Steve Nicol says he is unsure whether manager Arne Slot should remain as manager next season with the team currently looking "lost" on the pitch.

The Reds have struggled for form this campaign and will go without a trophy a year after storming to the Premier League title in Slot's first season at Anfield.

When asked by BBC Radio Merseyside whether the Dutchman should stay in charge, the five-time league winner with Liverpool said: "If you'd have asked me this six weeks ago, I would've 100% said yes, but as time's gone on, it's getting a lot.

"It feels as though it's getting lost on the field, and you're getting more anxious every time you're going to sit down to watch it. I don't know is the answer. "

Hit play below to listen to the full interview, in which Nicol also talks about why he is selling his medals, the 1986 FA Cup final and the current Liverpool side - or listen on BBC Sounds here

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Mohamed Salah's name and perceived demise has made countless column inches this season.

But - to those who say the Egyptian is no longer at the required standard - is he starting to show there's plenty more in the tank?

Salah has scored in each of his last three Premier League starts, a return to form having only scored two goals in his previous 14 starts.

The third-highest scorer in Liverpool's history, has last season's talisman been written off too quickly?

The old saying - 'form is temporary, class is permanent' - also springs to mind.

Salah will be 33 years and 314 days old for Liverpool's next game against Crystal Palace and if he finds his way into Arne Slot's starting line-up and scores, he'll be joining the history-books.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the last player that old to score in four starts in a row in the Premier League back in May 2022, aged 37 years, 86 days.

Salah's Anfield end is upon us. It seems he still has unfinished business.

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Liverpool fan Courtney Neary believes Alisson would be a "massive miss" for the club if he were to leave this summer with reports linking him with a move away from the Premier League.

The Brazilian shotstopper has suffered from persistent injury problems recently and questions have been raised about whether he is still the goalkeeper that the Reds should be relying on for the future.

Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside, Courtney said: "I think he's going to be, no matter what happens, he'll be a massive miss leadership-wise. And I know I've heard [Virgil] Van Dijk going on about who's going to be the vice-captain next season and he probably knows it's not going to be Alisson if you're looking at someone longevity-wise. I think leadership-wise, we are missing key players at the end of this season, and if Alisson does go, it's going to be the most hurtful part of it for the team.

"As a fan, I hope we know before that last game because I know Mo [Salah] and Robbo [Andy Robertson] are going to get a send-off, but arguably Alisson Becker, the amount of trophies we wouldn't have won without him. As soon as he came in, you saw the change in the side, and I hope we can give him a good send-off if he is going."

Listen to the full chat with Courtney here

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Liverpool have expressed an interest in signing 23-year-old Manchester City and England goalkeeper James Trafford. (Goal), external

Juventus are targeting a goalkeeper this summer and have placed 33-year-old Liverpool and Brazil international Alisson at the top of their list. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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Liverpool fans intend on raising thousands of yellow cards during the 13th minute of Saturday's Anfield fixture with Crystal Palace in a further protest against planned ticket-price increases.

The move has been orchestrated by supporters' union Spirit of Shankly.

Yellow cards are set to be distributed outside the stadium before the fixture.

Fans have already protested prior and during the recent win over Fulham, with the typical array of flags and banners on The Kop no longer visible until the end of the season.

In addition, Spirit of Shankly have written to Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan, external in response to his clarifying of the reasoning behind plans, external to raise ticket prices across each of the next three seasons.

"We understand the importance of running the club sustainably, but don't believe this should be at the expense of supporters," the letter reads.

"We acknowledge an 85% increase in matchday operation costs, over the past decade, but these come in part due to the expansion of the stadium. Matchday revenue is also up by 85%, so the costs are surely covered? The club's total revenues have also grown by 133% to £703m.

"As supporter representatives we face a unique challenge – wanting the very best for our club in the short, medium and long term. Decisions made by the current custodians will impact supporters, some of whom are not yet born, for generations to come. We want to be able to say: we did all we could to ensure the support and traditions continue to be passed on."

Liverpool boss Arne Slot needs to stop his side from playing "safety football", says podcaster Peter Warburton.

The 'LFC Poets' host believes the Dutchman can get the Reds back to playing a "better brand of football", with reports from Sky Sports, external suggesting Slot's post is safe next season as he closes in on a top-five league finish to secure Champions League qualification.

"If we do get Champions League, yes I think it will probably save his bacon to be honest," Warburton told BBC Radio Merseyside. "As the season's gone on, I've become more disgruntled and some of the games we go to the football has been poor.

"You can look at a number of things like the injury list we've had from day one of the season; some of the injuries the lads have got haven't been minor, they've been broken legs and Achilles and season-ending injuries which has disrupted the play. But there seems to be this slow build-up.

"I was worried at 70 minutes in the derby [against Everton] because that's normally when we hit the wall and start conceding but to be fair, they did stand up to it.

"So yes, I think if we do get Champions League, he'll stay. I just want to see a better brand of football and if that's under Slot then that's great because in his first season that's what it was like. When we won the league with a month to spare it was fantastic to watch, and suddenly we've sort of regressed into this 'safety football' I suppose you'd call it.

"I want to see us more on the front foot."

Click play above to hear the full chat or listen on BBC Sounds here

Lola Katz Roberts
Fan contributor

Take a look at Liverpool's goalscorers on Sunday - Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.

Just when you thought there would be no more moments, no more history, no more footnotes in the annals of the living legends, they add one more line.

Salah became the first goalscorer in a Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson. Van Dijk netted the latest ever winning goal in a Merseyside derby. Somewhere, someone is updating the history books.

Salah, Van Dijk, Alisson, Andy Robertson, even Trent Alexander-Arnold, all stand as monuments to quality. They represent irreplaceable and unique talents that have carved their names into the rich history of the football club, season after season.

But nothing lasts forever, especially not in football, and time has caught up with Liverpool's roster of modern-day greats. That's why in the summer the Reds bought the best striker on the market for £125m in Alexander Isak. And it's also why they paid up to £79m for the second-best striker on the market — Hugo Ekitike. It's why Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz for £115m instead of Rayan Cherki.

Now, it's fair to say that sitting in fifth place and on track for a record number of defeats in a season this century, that the gamble on quality hasn't gone to plan. But the reason Liverpool are able to win their first away Merseyside derby since 2021, or to score late-winners seven times this season, is because of that decision to pursue quality. Liverpool have not been well-coached this season, nor would it take a sports scientist to observe that they are not well-conditioned either. Under these circumstances, to secure a Champions League place would be a massive achievement.

The Opta supercomputer now decrees Liverpool's chances of a top five finish sit at 89%. Now look at the players again. Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate (who has all but committed his future to the club), Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Isak. The spine of Liverpool's next great team is already assembled. With better coaching, good recruitment and leaving a little less to the capricious hand of Lady Luck, this Liverpool side will be back next season.

Find more from Lola Katz Roberts the Goal Difference podcast, external

Aadam Patel
Football reporter

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"Did I ever think I was going to be playing for Liverpool in the Premier League? Probably not, but when I'm called upon, I just wanted to do my best."

This time last season, Freddie Woodman was sidelined with injury for Preston North End as they narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship.

Fast forward a year and he was thrown into a crucial Merseyside derby after Giorgi Mamardashvili was injured in the second half of Liverpool's win at Everton.

"It's tough," Woodman, 29, said of being a third-choice keeper. "I am new to this role. When the opportunity came along I was a bit unsure whether to do it and as a third choice I am still learning on the job.

"I quickly realised that my game time is going to be limited and that I would probably be called upon for 10-20 minutes, and when that time comes, I just wanted to be prepared.

"And so the eight months where I'm training, I'm just thinking about those 10 minutes, those 20 minutes, where you are nervous, but you can rely on all the preparation that you've done - and that's what I tried to do.

"Being third choice is, from what I've seen, more important than what I thought coming in.

"You are trying to have a relationship with the lads, so if Dom [Szoboszlai] wants to do extra free-kicks, I want to be there to help him. If Mo [Salah] wants to do extra shooting, I want to be there to help him.

"So it's just trying to find a different role within the team and realising how important it is."

Woodman's top-flight debut for Liverpool capped a superb weekend for his family, with his father Andy - a former goalkeeper, who now manages Bromley - celebrating promotion to League One for the first time in club history on Saturday.

"I was actually enjoying this Merseyside derby at the new stadium and then I was chucked into it at the deep end, so it was a good weekend for [my] family," Woodman said.

"Yeah, it was a little nerve-racking. But the nerves fuel you to want to do well and not to let people down.

"You come on and you think about the eight months that have gone past where you've worked every day for this one moment. When you're called upon, you just want to be reliable.

"That's what it feels like and to be honest, I was happy to get over the line but then to win it the way we did [with Van Dijk's 100th-minute header] was incredible."

Read more on Woodman's life as a third-choice goalkeeper

Liverpool have identified 27-year-old France international Randal Kolo Muani as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, but they face competition from Juventus for the Paris St-Germain forward who is currently on loan at Tottenham. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

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Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

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I don't understand the plan for Alexander Isak. He's the most expensive footballer in English football history and he's had a horrible, horrible season where he looks nothing like he did at Newcastle United.

There's a famous clip of an Isak assist for Newcastle in which he dribbles down the left flank, then runs along the byline and creates a goal from nothing.

How could he do that for Liverpool when he just stands up front waiting for service that never comes?

Erling Haaland can get away with having four or five touches a half because he scores goals. Isak isn't even shooting. It's crazy how uninspiring his performances are.

Yes, he's coming back from a nasty injury. And yes, he missed pre-season - but for me it's more about what we're asking him to do stylistically. He used to play like Thierry Henry - drifting to the wing, dribbling and creating.

With Hugo Ekitike probably out for over a year due to his Achilles rupture, we need Isak to arrive. I don't like how Arne Slot is using him. It's a problem.

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

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Freddie Woodman has been "unbelievable" since his arrival at Liverpool, says Andy Robertson.

The former England youth international - signed as a third-choice keeper on a free transfer last summer - made his first Premier League appearance since 2021 when he was thrown into Sunday's crucial Merseyside derby after Giorgi Mamardashvili was injured in the second half of Liverpool's win at Everton.

That 2021 fixture was one of four top-flight matches during eight years at Newcastle - although he was loaned to six teams in that time, before joining Preston in 2022.

The 29-year-old is set to add to that tally, with Mamardashvili looking likely for a spell on the sidelines and Alisson not expected to return until at least after this weekend's visit of Crystal Palace.

"Look I take the mickey out of him a lot and we always have a laugh and a joke but he is a credit to himself," Robertson told LFCTV post-match.

"Since he has come in, he has been unbelievable, whether that's Mo Salah wanting to stay out and do penalties after training, Woody is one there doing that with him.

"Whether it is running after the game where the lads have been dragged out, like I've done [after the game] at PSG, and he is always there to do it and to support.

"So these people at a club like this are so important. Maybe they don't always get the credit they deserve, don't always get the limelight and stuff like that. But when he walked back in the changing room there, I think he got a nice reception.

"He is a well-loved player, he has fitted in so well. It maybe took him a few weeks to actually talk to any of us! He was a bit nervous but once he settled in, he showed his quality as well.

"Forget about the personality, he has shown his composure, his quality on the ball.

"But like he says, we've got quality goalkeepers here, Ali (Alisson Becker) is the best in the world, hopefully he is back soon, hopefully Giorgi is back soon too.

"But if these two are out [injured], we all fully believe he is one to step up and he showed that today."

RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, 19, is now Liverpool's top target to replace Egypt winger Mohamed Salah, 33, with the move approved by the club's decision makers. (Florian Plettenberg - Sky Germany), external

England midfielder Curtis Jones, 25, is unhappy playing a fringe role with the Reds and could leave in the summer. (Football Insider), external

Manchester City and Liverpool look set to miss out on Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni, with the 27-year-old only prepared to leave Inter Milan for Barcelona. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external

Liverpool are among the clubs interested in signing Sunderland's 26-year-old French midfielder Enzo le Fee. (Teamtalk), external

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Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones says Sunday's Merseyside derby win against Everton was the "cherry on the cake" after a challenging season for the Reds.

"I don't think it's been a difficult few weeks, I'd say it's been a difficult year," Jones told BBC Radio Merseyside after the match.

"It's been up-and-down the whole time and I think now we're at the point where this game doesn't just mean yeah, 'we'll find our feet now and be back on track and we'll smash every team', no - we have to go again.

"We have to play exactly the same way and with the same mind frame; run the same, press the same and do all those things the same. If we can come away from a game like this with points then we know we can do that in every other game because we know what this means to the fans and the city."

Captain Virgil van Dijk's 100th-minute winner at Hill Dickinson Stadium helped stabilise Liverpool in the fifth Champions League spot, as they moved seven points ahead of chasers Chelsea, Brentford and Bournemouth.

But Jones said he missed the goal as he was too preoccupied with Everton supporters.

"I didn't see it. I was having a little bit of a back-and-forth with the fans and then I've heard a big roar and seen Virg and them run so, I've obviously seen it's a goal and I've just laughed at the fans. It was great - a great day and I'm happy.

"From my side [it was polite], I'm just a lad who wants to go and play and play with a smile on my face. I'm playing for my boyhood club and I expect to come here and get stick, it's part of it. I just smile and I understand it's part of the game, I've had it all my life.

"There's been times I've been told I'm not good enough and I should leave but there's a reason why I'm still here.

"Their fans don't affect me, I just smile and the cherry on the cake is that we go on and win, especially at the end there."

Click play above to hear the full chat or listen on BBC Sounds here

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We asked for your views on defender Ibrahima Konate moving closer to a new Liverpool contract.

Here are some of your comments:

James: We shouldn't offer Konate a contract. He wasn't interested in one last year when things were going well and he thought he would get a move to Real Madrid. Now they've realised he is bang average, all of a sudden he only ever had eyes on staying. As well as this, he simply is not good enough.

Russell: Perhaps he has realised there isn't going to be a big queue of clubs lining up to sign him if he does not sign a contract with Liverpool after his poor form this season.

Ross: Not sure if another contract for Konate is a must? He is inconsistent, can have great games and look really good, but also looks as if he can't read a game sometimes and gets caught out of position.

Rhys: Difficult to be excited about this news when he's been prone to so many individual errors. Strong in the air but an accident waiting to happen.

Lee: Konate has been too much of a liability this season and a new contract will just be rewarding mediocrity. He's been a great servant but it's time to move on and get someone younger and better.

Riz: On his day Ibou is world class. Yes there has been very dodgy displays this season, but it may have been because of his father's illness/death. We still need at least one more defender (two if Joe Gomez leaves), and that will have to be another proven senior player...not a player with potential.

Fraser: While he has been all over the place this season, he has been good for us at Liverpool. I am sure he will improve next season. Extending his contract will certainly save us a headache this summer. Overall, happy to see that he wants to stay.

Benjamin: Great news regarding Konate. A key member of the first team and defence. So glad he's staying.

Josh Sexton
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

"We bring new players, we will adapt, we will try to understand each other and at a point, with time, we will win a trophy."

From the moment Ibrahima Konate said this about Liverpool's situation while away on international duty with France, it seemed likely that he would sign a new deal to stay at the club.

Yes, most clubs don't leave it this late to tie down their starters, but contracts have become a particularly complex sideshow over the past few years at Anfield.

Just look at the differing situations of Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and even Trent Alexander-Arnold across the past few years, all borne to some extent out of the transition that Liverpool's ownership found itself in when Jürgen Klopp announced he would leave the club and they looked to rehire Michael Edwards alongside Richard Hughes to help Arne Slot.

Now, they're working on a backlog, while players and their agents have no doubt tried to exploit the time pressure that has been cranked up.

This is how it always felt with Konate, a player who individually had a pretty disappointing 2025, while he was surrounded by the increasingly public contract discourse.

His management would have surely driven a percentage of that, as Liverpool fans had to face another of their players publicly flirting with the idea of moving to Real Madrid.

Yet, since La Liga's second-place side declared they weren't interested in Konate, the player has broadly been on an upward ascent again.

It must also not be forgotten that Konate's father died suddenly in January. In his first game after compassionate leave, there was a poignant moment at Anfield when the defender was in tears while celebrating a goal against Newcastle in the 4-1 win.

Find more from Josh Sexton on outlets including The Anfield Wrap, external