- Fabrizio Romano’s Alisson exclusive sends shockwaves through Liverpool
- Danny Murphy has made a damning verdict on Arne Slot
- Dominik Szoboszlai has overtaken one Reds legend’s legacy already
It’s never a dull day on Merseyside as Liverpool fans are firmly backing Danny Murphy after his brutally honest take on Arne Slot with plenty of Reds supporters saying exactly the same thing about the early days of this new era at Liverpool FC. At the same time, trusted insider Fabrizio Romano has set tongues wagging with a huge update on Alisson Becker, bracing for what could come next.
All eyes are now on the Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Saturday, 25 April, as the Reds look to build on their 2-1 Merseyside derby win against Everton last weekend.
However, with the season nearing its end, a lot is going on behind the scenes, with Alisson’s future at Anfield now in serious doubt.
Juventus have set the ball rolling to take the goalkeeper back to Italy this summer.
All that and more in today’s ReadLiverpoolFC news roundup for April 23rd:
1. Fabrizio Romano reveals Juventus plans for Alisson
The transfer journalist reported on Wednesday that Juventus have identified Alisson as their dream goalkeeping target ahead of the summer.
Surprisingly, the Brazilian also likes the idea of returning to Italy and joining the Bianconeri despite extending his contract with Liverpool until next year.
The shot-stopper remains respectful to the Merseyside-based club and would not want to leave without their blessings.
He is keen to understand what the club’s plans for him are, with discussions over his future said to be scheduled in the next few weeks.
Full story: Romano drops a major Alisson transfer update
2. Defender missing from Liverpool training
Arne Slot led a training session at the AXA Training Centre on Wednesday, as Liverpool sharpened their focus ahead of this weekend’s encounter with Crystal Palace.
However, Joe Gomez was nowhere to be seen, suggesting that he will not be available for team selection on Saturday.
The defender has not been available since his substitute appearance against Paris Saint-Germain last week. He was taken off despite coming on from the bench in the second half.
Alisson was also missing on Wednesday, although he was spotted in the gym at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday, 23 April.
However, Saturday’s clash with Palace might come too soon for him, with the trip to Manchester United on 3 May seen as a more realistic return date.
Therefore, the six-time European champions are likely to be without nine players, including Hugo Ekitike, against the Eagles.
Full list: The Reds could be without nine players v Crystal Palace
3. Freddie Woodman gears up for biggest game of his career
Already missing Alisson since last month, Slot faces a further setback with second-choice goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili ruled out for Saturday.
The Georgian had to be stretchered off early in the second half of the Merseyside derby last weekend after he suffered a nasty cut on his knee.
This saw Freddie Woodman, who arrived on a free transfer from Preston North End last summer, make his unlikely debut for Liverpool.
It appears he is now in line to make his full Premier League debut for the Anfield outfit against Palace.
He has only made four Premier League appearances so far in his career, with all of them coming with Newcastle United in 2021.
It is also worth noting that he was on Palace’s books between 2002 and 2013, although he never featured for the first team.
Read more: Why Saturday is the biggest day of Woodman’s career
4. Szoboszlai overtakes Sadio Mane’s legacy
Liverpool have had a far from ideal season, but Szoboszlai has certainly been one of the shining lights, having impressed as one of the best players in the team.
The Hungary international has bagged 12 goals and nine assists in 48 appearances across all competitions this term.
Two of those goal contributions came in March, and that was enough for him to edge Mohamed Salah and Milos Kerkez for Liverpool’s Player of the Month award.
With that, the No. 8 has taken his Player of the Month award tally for the season to five, thus becoming only the third Reds player to do that in the last 15 years.
Philippe Coutinho won five in 2014-15, while Salah bagged seven in 2017-18.
Szoboszlai has won a total of seven POTM awards since joining the Premier League giants in 2023.
That means he has already taken Mane’s tally of 6.
Read more: Szoboszlai overtakes Mane’s legacy
5. Danny Murphy makes damning verdict on Slot
Finally, Danny Murphy has garnered support from the Reds faithful after expressing concerns over Slot and his influence on the dressing room.
The former midfielder is of the view that many players do not listen to the Dutchman anymore, thus suggesting he has reached the end of the road in L4.
He also said that the six-time European champions will not challenge for the title next season if they stick by the former Feyenoord boss.
Speaking on talkSPORT (22 April), Murphy said: “From a footballing perspective, if you look at how bad Liverpool have been, the amount of games they’ve lost, there is a feeling that they [the players] are not hearing him [Slot].
“Very hard to get that back once it’s gone. I don’t see them becoming title contenders again next season if he stays.”
The ex-Reds player went on to stress the need for the club to replace Slot ahead of next season.
Full story: Danny Murphy isn’t alone – Liverpool fans share this Arne Slot view
With a summer of potential upheaval looming from Alisson’s possible return to Italy to the intensifying debate over the managerial hot seat the final weeks of the campaign will provide a definitive answer on where this squad is headed.
Stay tuned to ReadLiverpoolFC for all the latest team news, transfer updates, and matchday coverage.
