Steven Gerrard has named Jeremy Jacquet as Virgil van Dijk's long-term successor at Anfield, with the Liverpool youngster impressing since his big-money move from Rennes
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard thinks Jeremy Jacquet can be Virgil van Dijk's long-term successor(Image: Getty Images)
Following the encounter with Manchester City, Liverpool's attention shifts to the Champions League and Wednesday's away tie against Austrian side LASK. The Reds launched their European campaign with a comeback victory over Atletico Madrid, thanks to strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
The fixture represents part of a vital spell for Andoni Iraola's squad, who must also navigate a challenging visit to Brentford on Saturday. Iraola will be keen to see Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo return to full fitness, after both players sat out the City encounter due to knocks sustained while on international duty. Liverpool lost 3-0 to City on Sunday in a disappointing defeat, with the Premier League urged to act quickly.
Looking ahead, planning for the upcoming transfer windows will already be in full swing. They're likely to prove busy periods for the Reds, considering the current squad imbalance and ongoing issues at left-back. Beyond the City defeat, here's a summary of the latest Liverpool news.... via the Liverpool Echo.
Van Dijk 'successor'
Steven Gerrard reckons Liverpool possess a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk within their current squad. With the Dutchman approaching the latter stages of his career, the Reds will shortly need to consider succession planning, potentially at the conclusion of this campaign when the 35-year-old's deal expires.
Yet Gerrard is convinced they already have a defensive foundation in Jeremy Jacquet, who has impressed since his arrival from Rennes. Gerrard told SPORTbible: "I love him, I've been very impressed with him from the opening pre-season friendlies.
"I think he's got a composure and a fantastic profile and he can move. I think there's still a bit of rawness about him. But I think there's another level which he can get to and I think he's going to be the perfect replacement for Virg in a year or two because he's really helped solidify that back four."
Jeremy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk
(Image: Getty Images)
Salah flying in Turkey
Mohamed Salah is defying his years at Trabzonspor, driving his new side to a strong beginning in Turkey. Nine years following his move to Liverpool, the Egyptian icon mutually terminated his Anfield deal this summer.
His fresh start commenced amid chaos with an early Europa League elimination and manager Fatih Tekke's departure. However, that uncertainty has rapidly settled.
Before the international break, Trabzonspor delivered a statement with a 4-0 thrashing of league leaders Galatasaray, featuring a Salah hat-trick, before backing it up with an emphatic 3-0 triumph over Samsunspor on Saturday. Salah provided an assist in the latest victory, extending his impressive league tally to seven goals and three assists across just seven matches.
According to Opta, the 34 year old has become the first player to achieve 10 goal contributions within his opening seven fixtures of a Turkish Super Lig campaign since 2014/15, when such statistics were first recorded.