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Joe Gomez believes that Liverpool are ‘hungrier than ever’ and are mentally prepared to face the challenges of the upcoming season.

In his latest interview with the club, the centre-back has discussed the team’s morale as they gear up to defend their first ever Premier League title.

“I think more than anything, the gaffer instils in us that it’s a mental battle more than physical half the time, so we’ll be ready and we have a squad full of quality to rotate when needs be,” Gomez told liverpoolfc.com. “The main thing is, mentally we are ready to go. And I think everyone is hungrier than ever.”

The Reds ran away with their first league title in 30 years last season, entering a whole new era as a club. However, a lot of fans appear to be worried after watching the team play during preseason and in the Community Shield.

Many supporters are crying out for new signings and as a result, one has responded to Gomez saying ‘we don’t care about this nonsense’. Another fan has slammed the 23-year-old for ‘deceiving yourself’ about the club’s current situation.

Liverpool have made just one senior signing so far in this window and some Kopites are worrying that it won’t be enough to keep the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City at bay.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful below:

What do you think of Joe Gomez’s comments, Reds fans? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg wants to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to the Evening Standard. 

Jose Mourinho has made it clear that the 24-year-old is the player he needs to transform Tottenham into a side capable of challenging for silverware next season.

Hojbjerg was stripped of the captain’s armband after refusing to sign a new deal at Southampton and he has told Ralph Hasenhuttl he wants to move on to bigger and better things. Spurs are leading the race to sign the Dane in the summer, amid interest from Ajax, and that could see Kyle Walker-Peters move in the opposite direction.

Mourinho has decided that Eric Dier’s best position is in the defence and considers Hojbjerg to be a significant upgrade on the midfield options he has available at the moment.

As it stands, this will be bad news for Walker-Peters, who fell out of favour with Mourinho after appearing to take aim at the Portuguese in an interview with the Saints’ official website.

He is only one year younger than Hojbjerg and has played every single minute of Southampton’s past four games, helping Hasenhuttl’s side to beat Watford and Manchester City while earning draws against Everton and Manchester United.

Hasenhuttl wants to sign a right-back before the start of next season and is a keen admirer of Walker-Peters. Although Mourinho had suggested that the 23-year-old could still return to Tottenham, he added that he won’t stop him from leaving if he wishes to do so.

It now seems that Spurs are eager to use him as part of an exchange deal for Hojbjerg, despite him impressing for the Saints since the Premier League restart. No matter how hard he tries on the pitch, the defender seems to have burnt most of his bridges back in north London.

Mourinho is prepared to let him go, which could end up being a decision he regrets in the future, as the academy graduate has reminded his parent club of exactly what he has to offer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho should give Kyle Walker-Peters another chance? Let us know in the comments below!

It’s been a huge week at Newcastle with the club’s reported takeover being called off.

Rumours of the Magpies being bought out by a Saudi Arabian group have been circulating for months, and while those murmurs can now be put to bed, reports of a potential takeover still circulate.

Indeed, Henry Mauriss has been linked with buying the club in recent days, and Chris Waugh claims he’s not the only interested party.

What’s been said then?

The Athletic journalist was speaking about Mauriss on the latest edition of the Pod on the Tyne podcast, and the reporter stated that while he doesn’t know that much about him, he is aware of other interested brokers.

“Henry Mauriss, I have tried to make contact, I haven’t been able to verify the other reports out there, but nor have I been able to reject them. He remains a mystery figure in many ways.” Waugh said (Pod on the Tyne 31/6/20 25:00).

“There are other groups mentioned, and I know of other brokers trying to reach out to people in the north-east, and trying to say ‘we’re trying to put together this bid’ or ‘we’ve got these people interested’ one of which is US-based. But until it gets to the point where they’re at the owners and directors test, it’s hard to say it at that stage.”

Glimmer of hope

The podcast is a great in-depth look at why Newcastle’s deal with Amanda Staveley and the Saudis fell apart, but one very interesting point they make throughout is that it wasn’t about becoming the richest club in the country or being backed by a billionaire group, it’s about getting rid of Mike Ashley.

Ashley has been public enemy number one on Tyneside for over a decade now, and the fact that Waugh knows of other brokers that are trying to sort out a deal provides just a little bit of hope that the club won’t be stuck with him for much longer.

Of course, reaching a deal and passing all of the Premier League’s tests remains a hurdle, as we know all too well after the events of this week, but the fact that there are still potentially deals on the table, even if they’re not as lucrative as what was being offered by the Saudis, is a reason for optimism.

Despite being the soon-to-be Premier League title winners, this upcoming summer transfer window could prove to be one of the most pivotal in recent years for Liverpool.

The Reds will have a significantly larger target on their backs, and rival clubs will no doubt be looking to make up for lost ground with moves of their own.

Bringing in new faces to help refresh the squad and ensure they keep moving forward could hold the key to trying to retain the title for next year, and Jurgen Klopp would be incredibly smart to target a move for Lyon ace Houssem Aouar.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

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According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Reds and Real Madrid are now being seen as two of the “main antagonists” in the race to sign the Frenchman this summer.

And when you look at some of the biggest criticisms of Liverpool in recent seasons, then the midfield area has always been one of the major topics of discussion.

Reds legend and current Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness has long since insisted that whilst the current options in the middle of the park have their strengths, they do lack a bit of creativity and imagination.

Speaking ahead of the Merseysider’s win over Tottenham last year, the Scot said: “I think you know what you get from those three. They might have a difficult day but one thing they will do is stop the opposition playing. When you have three magicians up front like they have, maybe you can get away without any of them being terribly gifted on the ball in the last third.”

And going back to March of 2019, Souness slammed the club’s midfielders for failing to contribute with either goals or assists, saying: “Liverpool’s five midfielders have six league goals between them. They get away with it because of the front three they have, but it’s not enough from James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keita.”

In Aouar, Liverpool would more than address Souness’ big worry. This season alone, the 21-year-old magician has racked up nine goals and seven assists in 37 games across all competitions, far more than any Reds midfielder.

He is very much a player who thrives on being a threat in the opposition’s box, averaging 1.8 shots per game in Ligue 1 this season. And speaking after a particularly impressive performance against Manchester City in the Champions League, even Pep Guardiola lauded him as “incredible”.

Liverpool could really transform their midfield with a swoop for the Lyon prodigy.

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Marco Silva has accepted that his position as Everton manager is under scrutiny following his side’s poor recent form, as reported by the Mirror.

What he said

Speaking after the Toffees’ dismal 3-1 home defeat against newly-promoted Wolves, the under-fire Portuguese coach was clear that he knows his job at Goodison Park is on the line, “of course, of course I understand that. I am not here to find excuses or whine about something, of course there will be questions about me.”

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Everton have lost three of their last four games in all competitions and currently find themselves in 9th place in the Premier League table, fourteen points off of sixth placed Arsenal.

Everton have fallen well short of expectations so far this season and Silva must bear much of the blame for this state of affairs.

Issues to address

A defence of Silva is that he is still only in his first season on Merseyside, and should be afforded more time to rebuild his squad in his own image. Considering he took over at Goodison from Sam Allardyce, there have certainly been plenty of adjustments to be made in order to get Everton playing the brand of football that Silva prefers.

However, the Toffees’ complete inability to defend set pieces, defensive naivety, and lack of steel are all issues the manager ought to have been able to address already to a far greater extent than he has. What’s more, these are issues Silva appears to have created himself. The crippling defensive weakness from set pieces is something that has crept in this season.

If Silva is to be trusted with rebuilding Everton, he has to prove that he is capable of making these necessary improvements. Until then, he will always be doubted and under pressure to deliver.

Sheffield United legend Billy Sharp has fired a fresh dig at Wrexham, claiming they “can have a documentary about” his FA Cup goal from last season.

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Blades legend settled dramatic cup tieRuffled a few feathers at the timeNot a fan of the Dragons' current bossWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blades icon helped to dump the Dragons out of one domestic cup competition in 2022-23, with his dramatic stoppage-time strike settling an epic fourth-round replay at Bramall Lane. Sharp aimed post-match jibes at Wrexham after that contest, and has done so again following the release of season two in the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT THEY SAID

Sharp – who is now plying his trade in MLS with the LA Galaxy – has told in a pot shot at the Welsh club and their Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney: “If they want to put me in the documentary, go ahead. I think people in Los Angeles probably know me now for scoring goals rather than knocking (Wrexham) out of the FA Cup. People don’t even know the real story. Wrexham will put out what they want to on their documentary, and maybe I’ll put out my own and tell them what really happened.”

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He added on what happened during a fiery contest in South Yorkshire: “I scored the goal, which knocked them out, and a little scuffle happened in the changing room. I don’t really like their manager anyway from past experiences, and he probably doesn’t like me. It’s just one of those things in football where it sometimes gets very overheated…I know what they’re going to do; they’re going to show the clips that make me look like a baddie. That’s fine. I’ll wait to see what happens and have my say afterwards. The record book says we beat them in the FA Cup, so they can have a documentary about it if they want.”

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While clearly not a fan of Wrexham or their manager Phil Parkinson, Sharp has joked that he could take the reins at SToK Racecourse in the future. He said when asked about his plans for retirement: “I’ll probably become Wrexham manager when Parkinson gets the sack.”

Lionel Messi’s teenage team-mate at Inter Miami, Tyler Hall, has stated his desire to earn a place in the USMNT squad for the 2026 World Cup.

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Defender is considered to be a hot prospectCaptains his country at U17 levelWants senior breakthrough before showpiece eventWHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old defender, who is currently captain of his country at U17 level, is not short on confidence and has lofty ambitions for his promising career. Hall has a long way to go before he can be considered for international selection at senior level, as he is yet to make a competitive debut for his MLS employers, but time is still very much on his side.

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Hall has told FIFA’s of pushing for a place in the United States’ plans for 2026, as they prepare to fill hosting duties alongside neighbours Canada and Mexico: “It's something that's in my mind. The World Cup coming to America is huge, of course. To have a spot in the main USA team is my end goal. I just hope one day I can make that step.”

WHAT THEY SAID

The potential is clearly there in Hall’s game to reach the very top, with the youngster – who is a big fan of Virgil van Dijk and Sergio Ramos – adding on the qualities that he brings to any defensive unit: “My main strength is my one-v-one ability – being able to go against the forwards and being patient to win the ball. My speed, my ability to understand the game, command the game and be a leader on the field are also important. Also, on the ball, I'm able to find passes. I'm starting to develop that more and add that to my skillset.”

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For now, Hall is picking up important lessons working alongside the likes of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in Inter Miami training – with there every chance that his big break in Florida could come during the 2024 MLS campaign.

The Gunners midfielder is expected to play his final game for the club against Wolves on Sunday after a rollercoaster career at the Emirates Stadium

Granit Xhaka’s time at Arsenal looks set to be coming to an end. The midfielder is pushing for a return to Germany and the north London club are in advanced talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal of around £13 million ($16m). Should the transfer be finalised, it will bring to an end a rollercoaster seven years for the Switzerland international at Arsenal.

It wasn’t long ago that most Gunners fans would have gladly driven Xhaka to Germany themselves just to get him out of the club, but now he is expected to receive a standing ovation from 60,000 at the Emirates Stadium in what will most likely be his final game for the club on Sunday against Wolves.

Ahead of what looks set to be an emotional day for Xhaka, GOAL takes a look back at the highs and lows of his dramatic time with the Gunners…

Getty ImagesXhaka signs

Arsenal signed Xhaka from Borussia Mönchengladbach in May 2016. "Granit is an exciting young player, already with good Champions League and Bundesliga experience,” Arsene Wenger said. "We have been watching him for a long time now and he is a player who will add quality to our squad.”

Arsenal fans had been calling for a defensive midfielder to be signed for some time, so the capture of the 23-year-old was met with a lot of excitement.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe slow start

Xhaka’s start to life at Arsenal was not an easy one. Given the Gunners had spent £35m to bring him in from Germany, most expected he would go straight into the side, but that was not the case. In fact, Xhaka started just six league games before December during his debut season in England, much to his frustration.

“It’s not about his quality at the moment as he adapts to the pace of the English game,” Wenger said. “For me, it’s about pairs who work together. [Francis] Coquelin and [Santi] Cazorla have worked well together. He will play games and every week he is stronger and better. He will have a huge impact as a player.”

Getty ImagesHis first goal

Xhaka’s first goal for Arsenal came in a 4-1 win at Hull City in September 2016. Having come on as a second-half substitute, the midfielder let fly with one of those trademark  powerful left-footed strikes from distance which flew into the top corner in the final minute. It was a fabulous goal.

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Getty ImagesRed cards & Wenger criticism 

Xhaka arrived with the reputation as somewhat of a hot head and he didn’t take long to live up to that billing. He was sent off twice within his first six months as an Arsenal player, and after his second dismissal, in a game against Burnley, Wenger surprised everyone by basically admitting that the defensive midfielder he had spent so much money on couldn't tackle properly.

“He’s not naturally a great tackler,” said the Arsenal boss. “In his decision making, he is quite intelligent on the pitch. But it’s more the way he tackles that is not really convincing. He doesn’t master well the technique. I would encourage him not to tackle, to stay on his feet.”

The 2023 youth tournament gets under way on Saturday, May 20, and it is a competition where some of the game's greats have made their mark

Before many of the game's legends became, well, legends, they were first hopefuls, prospects, starlets. And before many of them went on to lift some of the sport's most iconic trophies, they first lifted the Under-20 World Cup on their journey towards immortality.

Launched in 1977, the U20 World Cup, or the FIFA World Youth Championship as it was called until 2005, has served as a proving ground for several of the game's icons. Between them, Brazil and Argentina have lifted the trophy 11 times, and many of the players that defined generations for those two South American nations emerged in this tournament.

From Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi, Argentina have produced some of the world's best, while Brazilian stars Fernandinho and Oscar both scored some of the most memorable goals this tournament has to offer. But it's not just South American stars that have dominated this competition, though, as a certain Norwegian terminator first went mainstream with one of the most dominant performances this sport has seen at any level.

GOAL looks back at some of the biggest names and most memorable performances in U20 World Cup history:

Getty Images1979 – Diego Maradona

The 1979 tournament was the second iteration of the U20 World Cup, and it notably featured a breakout performance from one of the game's great icons. Before he became an Argentinian God, Diego Armando Maradona was a teenager at the then-FIFA World Youth Championship. His six goals, alongside eight from Ramon Diaz, led Argentina to the title, with both scoring in a 3-1 win over the Soviet Union in the final.

While Diaz claimed the Golden Boot, Maradona claimed the Golden Ball, setting the stage for one of football's most unforgettable careers.

AdvertisementGetty1987 – Davor Suker

Before becoming one of Croatia's best-ever players, Suker starred for Yugoslavia as they lifted the trophy in 1987. It took extra-time and a penalty shootout to take down West Germany, with the two sides each scoring goals after the 85th minute. In the end, though, Yugoslavia emerged victorious, with Suker finishing as the Golden Boot runner-up with six goals.

It wasn't enough for him to make the Golden Ball podium, though, with Yugoslavia's Robert Prosinecky winning the award over team-mate Zvonimir Boban, who finished second.

Getty Images1991 – Luis Figo and Rui Costa

After winning the tournament in 1989, Portugal somehow brought an even more star-studded squad to the 1991 tournament on home soil. Future legends Figo and Rui Costa headlined the squad, which ended up in the final against Brazil in front of over 125,000 fans at Estadio da Luz.

The match finished goalless, but both future midfield icons scored from the spot in the shootout win.

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clarin1997 – Lionel Scaloni

The 1997 Argentina team laid the foundation for a generation. Scaloni, who ultimately achieved World Cup glory as the country's manager in 2022, was one of several familiar faces in the squad that lifted the U20 World Cup in 1997.

Esteban Cambiasso, Pablo Aimar, Juan Roman Riquelme and Walter Samuel were all in the team that beat Uruguay 2-1 in the final. Each of those named ended up becoming superstars, while continuing to build their country's legacy at this tournament.

The Portuguese powerhouse have seen many top stars come and go for big transfer fees over the years

Sporting CP are one of the ultimate destinations for top clubs across Europe to find some of the greatest talent around in the game.

It's the club where Cristiano Ronaldo rose to prominence.

It's where Bruno Fernandes revived his career after an underwhelming spell in Serie A with Sampdoria.

And it's also where the likes of Nani, Joao Mario, Joao Moutinho and many more made a name for themselves?

But who are their most expensive sales ever and which players have landed the the most cash on a season by season basis?

Let's take a look!

Sporting CP most expensive outgoing transfers by season

Season

Biggest sale

Fee

Total sales

2022-23

Matheus Nunes

€45M

€119M

2021-22

Nuno Mendes

€7M

€16.67M

2020-21

Wendel

€20.30M

€47.88M

2019-20

Bruno Fernandes

€63M

€113.16M

2018-19

Gelson Martins

€22M

€79.17M

2017-18

Adrien Silva

€20.50M

€49.80M

2016-17

Joao Mario

€41M

€83.46M

2015-16

Cedric Soares

€7M

€19.02M

2014-15

Marcos Rojo

€20M

€31.30M

2013-14

Bruma

€13M

€35.66M

2012-13

Joao Pereira

€3.70M

€15.24M

2011-12

Simon Vukcevic

€2.30M

€6.63M

2010-11

Joao Moutinho

€11M

€22.30M

2009-10

Milan Purovic

€100,000

€100,000

2008-09

None

Nil

Nil

2007-08

Nani

€25.50M

€33.20M

2006-07

Deivid

€4.50M

€6.15M

2005-06

Joseph Enakarhire

€6M

€7M

2004-05

Danny

€3M

€4.80M

2003-04

Cristiano Ronaldo

€19M

€26.85M

2002-03

Hugo Viana

€12.75

€12.75M

2001-02

Delfim

€5M

€5.58M

2000-01

Aldo Duscher

€13M

€24.30M

TOTAL

€760M

*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt unless stated otherwise.

Sporting CP top 10 most expensive player salesGetty Images10Wendel | €20.3m | Zenit | 2020

After joining Sporting in 2018 following a strong season at Fluminense, Wendel found it difficult to adjust to new conditions in Portugal in his first few games for the club.

However, he started earning more caps after the appointment of Marcel Keizer as coach, but then suffered a knee injury which left him out for two months towards the end of 2018.

After returning, he wasn't the same player anymore and with immense competition for midfield spots at Sporting, Wendel was sold to Zenit in 2020 for a decent €20.30 million.

At Zenit, Wendel is performing rather well and he even scored the first hat-trick of his career in his team's 8-0 win against Orenburg.

AdvertisementGetty9Adrien Silva | €20.5m | Leicester | 2017

After making his debut for Sporting in August 2007, Adrien Silva became a mainstay in their team for the best part of a decade.

However, these 10 years at Sporting include a loan move at Academica in 2011, where he helped his new team defeat Porto in the fourth round and Sporting in the final on their way to lift the Portuguese Cup for the first time in 73 years.

He then returned to Lisbon in the summer of 2012 and was awarded the club's Player of the Year award in November 2013.

Fast forward to the summer of 2017, Sporting sold Silva to Leicester City for €20.5m, a move that didn't quite work out as he made just 14 appearances for the Foxes in a three-year spell, which included a season on loan at Monaco.

Getty Images8Raphinha | €21m | Rennes | 2019

After two seasons at Vitoria Guimaraes, Raphinha joined Sporting CP in the summer of 2018.

He scored his first goal for the club against Qarabag in the Europa League in 2018-19 and went on to lift the Taca de Portugal after scoring a penalty in the shootout victory against Porto.

After making 28 appearances during his only season at the club, the Brazilian joined French club Rennes for €21m in 2019.

After just one season in France, Raphinha later ended up joining Leeds in the Premier League in 2020 and then made the big-money switch to Barcelona in 2022.

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Getty Images7Gelson Martins | €22m | Atletico Madrid | 2018

Martins was born and raised in Cape Verde, but moved to Portugal as a teenager, playing at youth level with both Benfica and Sporting before he gained promotion to the senior side in 2014.

The winger, who became a Portuguese citizen in 2016, made 125 appearances for the Lisbon team, winning two trophies during his three-year tenure at the club.

In May 2018, an incident involving a group of around 50 fans entering Sporting's training centre who assaulted several players and staff members led to Martins requesting the club to terminate his contract in June.

In July 2018, Atletico Madrid came calling and announced his capture on a free transfer.

Sporting made an official complaint to FIFA over the transfer and demanded compensation of €100m, but the clubs eventually reached an agreement for a €22m fee.

Martins survived just six months at Atletico before being loaned to Monaco in January 2019, eventually being sold to them for €30m.