Key events
A tweet that makes a good point, after my dismissive swipe at Burnley v Man City:
@DomBooth19 “Burnley versus Manchester City doesn’t truly whet the appetite as a dramatic curtain-raiser”
Granted, not a clash of titans. But surely there’s some sauce in the fact Burnley are now the grandchild (?) of Pep with VK at the helm?
— Thomas McConaghie (@thisthomas) August 11, 2023
More from Klopp, on his ‘reloaded’ Liverpool side. He’s in bullish mood this morning:
We have a new start with this Liverpool FC reloaded – it’s an exciting thing.
People wanted changes because we’d been together for a long time. Did it happen at the right moment? That’s difficult to answer. But now it happened and that’s good.
We have a new leadership group and if you look at the players not in that group then they also offer a lot, they are exceptional. Cody [Gakpo] is great, Dom [Szoboszlai] is 23 and the captain of Hungary, Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] is also outstanding.
We all share responsibility, let’s take that responsibility and see where we go. Don’t try to be like someone just be the best version of yourself.
Chelsea to answer Caicedo raise
Jacob Steinberg has the latest on the Moisés Caicedo transfer saga, with Chelsea set to raise their offer in a last-ditch attempt to snatch the midfielder from under Liverpool’s noses. The Reds want to wrap things up swiftly after having an enormous bid accepted and booking the player’s medical … but it’s not quite done and dusted yet.
Away from the Kane and Caicedo stories, there’s plenty of alternative transfer hustle and bustle to keep you occupied while you skive work this Friday. Here’s today’s Rumour Mill, for a start, with Tottenham eyeing some attacking signings. Can’t think why.
Jürgen Klopp likes to do his press conferences nice and early. And there’s only one thing the journalists want to know from the Liverpool manager today and that’s the C word … Caicedo.
Klopp said: “I can confirm that the deal with the club is agreed. With the player, we will have to see. Let’s see.”
No word yet on a medical for the £111m man from Brighton.
Preamble
As Fridays go in football, this is a fairly big one. The Women’s World Cup semi-final lineup is taking shape, Harry Kane is finally on his way to a club that wins trophies, Liverpool are gazumping Chelsea to snatch Moisés Caicedo … and all of this happening on the eve of the big Premier League kick-off. Although, admittedly, Burnley versus Manchester City doesn’t truly whet the appetite as a dramatic curtain-raiser.
Stick with me throughout the day for all the big build-up, transfer titbits, latest from the managers’ press conferences and whatever pre-weekend chat floats your boat. Send in your tweets and emails as and when you like.
