Liverpool is one of four Premier League clubs that have lodged legal notices reserving the right to pursue compensation if Manchester City is found guilty in its high-profile ongoing case against the Premier League.
The Times reports that Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham have also lodged compensation claims that they will pursue if City is found guilty of serious charges among the 115 Premier League financial rules the club is alleged to have breached.
City was hit with the charges early in 2023 but the charges are only now being heard, with the independent regulatory commission's outcome not expected to be disclosed until early in the new year.
The Times reported that each of the four clubs that lodged legal notices on the comment refused to comment when approached by the newspaper.
It is claimed that lawyers advised the four clubs that there was a potential six-year statute of limitations period dating from November 5, 2018, when the German outlet Der Spiegel — with the assistance of the Football Leaks website — initially published the allegations against City.
That period expired last week, and there were said to be concerns among Liverpool, Arsenal, United and Spurs, that if they hadn't lodged formal legal notices prior to the statute of limitations expiring, they might not have been able to pursue compensation.
The Times report adds: "Although City’s alleged rule breaches date from 2009, the 1980 Limitation Act’s six-year period for legal claims for breaches of contract in the UK allows an exception where that breach has been concealed. That would allow the six-year period to begin when details of the alleged breaches were made public. If the charges against City are proven, clubs could claim for loss of income for missing out on the league title, qualification for the Champions League or other European competitions over the course of several seasons, which could total hundreds of millions of pounds."
Real Madrid has reportedly held internal meetings about the prospect of bringing forward the club's swoop for Trent Alexander-Arnold to January.
It is no secret that the Reds defender is Madrid's No.1 target to fill the right-back position at the Bernabeu after Dani Carvajal suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Carvajal ruptured two ligaments as well as a tendon in his right knee during a La Liga match against Villarreal at the beginning of October, and Carlo Ancelotti's side is currently incredibly thin on options on defense.
Carvajal, Eder Militao and David Alaba are all in different stages of their recoveries from knee ligament injuries, while Lucas Vazquez, who had been deputizing for Carvajal at right-back, is also now sidelined after sustaining an adductor injury.
Those injuries leave Ancelotti with just Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rudiger, Jesus Vallejo and Fran Garcia currently available in defense for the European champions.
Spanish outlet Marca says Madrid is contemplating whether to try and sign Alexander-Arnold in January to ease the team's injury crisis.
Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the season and, as things stand, will be allowed to negotiate a free summer transfer with a foreign club from January 1 onwards.
The report says Madrid views Alexander-Arnold as a 'sure thing' for next summer, but that the club would be willing to pay a transfer fee in order to land him a few months earlier.
However, it is claimed that Madrid does not want to sour relations with Liverpool and trying to sign Alexander-Arnold in January, and potentially disrupting the Reds' season as well as affecting the player's focus, risks doing exactly that.
Ancelotti previously said that he will not be asking for any new additions in January but that was before the injuries to Militao and Vazquez. "I have not asked for new signings in January as last year we managed the situation well," Ancelotti said in October. "The same will happen this year."
Regarding a possible contract extension for Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool, the player himself said in September that he has no intention of letting negotiations play out in public.
"I want to be a Liverpool player this season [as a minimum] is what I will say," the 26-year-old said. "I have been at the club 20 years now. I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public - and this one won't be either."
Gary Neville does not believe David Coote's criticism of Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp should cost him his job as a Premier League referee.
A video of the Nottinghamshire official describing former Liverpool manager Klopp as a 'German c---' surfaced on the social media platform X earlier this week, and has dominated the Premier League news agenda over the last couple of days.
The footage is believed to have been recorded several years ago but only came to light on Monday, and Coote was suspended by the PGMOL pending a full investigation.
There have been calls for Coote to be stood down as a Premier League referee permanently, but Neville believes that would be an excessive punishment.
“It will bring great disappointment to David and the refereeing community," Neville told The Overlap US. "He has called Jurgen Klopp the c-word which is obviously a very aggressive word. But I didn’t see anything within his words that told me he had influenced decisions in a wrong way, or that he was trying to do Liverpool over.
"I hope they can get through it. If there had been any suggestion that he was making decisions against Liverpool or another club, I would say he has to go. He has called a manager a word because he has a bad relationship with him and they have had an argument.
"It was very sloppy. I am sure it is something he will regret for the rest of his life. But from a point of view of cancelling him, I am not sure. The minute you cancel him as a Premier League referee, you are effectively cancelling him from the game. I am not sure any organization would look at him and offer him the chance to join.
Coote was recorded calling Jurgen Klopp a 'German c---'"I actually think the worst words in the video were said by the guy sat next to him – ‘I hate scousers’. Because that demonstrates a hatred to a group of people, which includes Liverpool and Everton.
"David Coote never said those words himself. He has been stitched up and it is a mess. It looks like he has got drunk and let his mate film him, which is stupid. We have all done silly things when we have had too many drinks."
Neville believes a more appropriate course of action would be to ensure Coote is not involved in any Liverpool matches going forward. He added: "It could become impossible for him to go into Premier League grounds or referee Liverpool again. We know that certain referees don’t take charge of matches at Old Trafford or Anfield or at other grounds because of their allegiance. For David Coote to be removed from Liverpool games would be a good step.
"In employment law, if you call someone a name, it is a warning. I don’t feel it is a sacking or dismissal. Taking him off Liverpool games and giving him a final warning is what I think should happen, not to lose his entire career. I don’t feel it has crossed that line."
The controversy surrounding the leaked David Coote video has opened up the conversation around referees’ allegiances for a lot of football fans.
Coote finds himself suspended pending an investigation by the PGMOL after a video appeared online allegedly showing him making foul-mouthed remarks about Liverpool and former manager Jurgen Klopp. Not only that, but he could face a charge from the FA after the governing body opened up its own investigation.
It doesn’t come at a great time for PGMOL chief Howard Webb, who has come under a lot of scrutiny since taking on the role. He kept things under wraps as he broke his silence on the matter on Tuesday, and it’s unlikely we will hear of a definitive outcome in the matter for some time.
Inevitably, it has opened up a can of worms on social media. Football fans everywhere have long espoused conspiracies of bias from certain referees toward their teams, with many taking this latest incident as a basis to back up those unfounded claims.
The truth is, there is no bias from referees – or at least there shouldn’t be – for or against the teams they’re placed in charge of, with officials required to disclose who they support when they take up the job.
Earlier this year, The Telegraph (via This Is Anfield) published a list of the 20 main Premier League referees and where they originally come from. That process has led to five referees being unable to officiate in Liverpool games – Darren Bond, Jarred Gillett, Peter Bankes, Rob Jones and Michael Salisbury.
Bankes and Jones are both from Merseyside, hailing from Liverpool and the Wirral respectively, while Bond is from Wigan, Saliabury from Higher Penwortham in Lancashire, and Gillett is originally from Australia. Indeed, none of those five have ever taken charge of a Liverpool game in the Premier League, although Bond was the referee when the Reds beat Brighton in the Carabao Cup last month.
Darren Bond took charge of Liverpool's Carabao Cup clash against Brighton last month despite never having officiated a game involving the Reds before (Image: Getty Images)Coote, meanwhile, hails from Nottingham, and counts himself as a Notts County fan, meaning he can’t be involved in Nottingham Forest games.
Interestingly, where a referee comes from doesn’t necessarily dictate who they can and cannot officiate. For example, Chris Kavanagh and Anthony Taylor are from Ashton-under-Lyne and Wythenshawe, both in the Greater Manchester area, although both are permitted to take charge of Manchester United and Manchester City games – Kavanagh is reportedly a fan of non-league side Droylsden, while Taylor is an Altrincham supporter.
Former referee Mike Dean, who has voiced his support for Coote amid the controversy, was another exception to the rule, having hailed from Merseyside but officiated Liverpool and Everton games due to his allegiance to Tranmere Rovers.
Of the other 12 referees listed, Stuart Atwell is a Luton Town fan, Darren England supports Barnsley, Tony Harrington follows Hartlepool United, Simon Hooper and Graham Scott are both Swindon fans, while Andrew Madley, Michael Oliver and Paul Tierney support Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United and Wigan Athletic respectively.
Thomas Bramall and Craig Pawson both hail from Sheffield, with the latter listed as a Sheffield United fan, while John Brooks is from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, and has never been involved in a Leicester City game. Tim Robinson is the only other referee listed, although the Middleton-on-Sea native is eligible to officiate every team in the Premier League.
As the end of 2024 nears, eyes will soon be turning to the January transfer window – although Liverpool fans may not welcome the turn of the year.
Arne Slot’s side is of course riding high in the Premier League and Champions League, with the Reds sitting top on both counts. Off the field though, there some big issues that need resolving.
Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all set to be out of contract at the end of the season, and with less than two months until they’re able to negotiate pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs, Liverpool and FSG need to get their futures sorted quickly. If reports in Spain are to be believed though, one of them could make way even before their deal runs out.
Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today, including a shock swap deal for Aurelien Tchouameni.
Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)Liverpool is ready to instigate a swap deal in January that would see Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aurelien Tchouameni move in opposite directions, according to Spanish outlet Defensa Central. The report claims the Reds could be willing to let their vice-captain go for $27m (£21m/€25m) plus a player, with Tchouameni the most likely option.
There have been rumblings that Real Madrid may look to offload the French international soon, with patience said to be running out for the midfielder. Liverpool have of course shown interest in Tchouameni in the past, having been in the running to sign him back in 2022.
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Liverpool FCLiverpool.com says: As much as his departure is looking more and more like a reality, we really can’t see Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool in January. If nothing else, why would Real spend money on someone who they can bring in for free just a few months later?
Of course, if that possibility is on the table, and it becomes clear that Alexander-Arnold isn’t going to sign a new deal, then Liverpool should absolutely look at a deal like this. The chances of that happening are slim to say the least though.
Federico Chiesa (Liverpool)Liverpool has made it clear it will reject any January offers for Federico Chiesa, according to Inter Live. Recent reports have suggested a move back to Italy could be on the cards for the winger, who has struggled since joining Liverpool in the summer, with Inter Milan and Roma said to have held talks with his agent.
Chiesa has been out injured for the Reds’ last nine fixtures, having made just three starts for the club since making the move from Juventus. Arne Slot has admitted the 27-year-old has struggled to get up to speed with his new teammates, although he is expected to make a return to training soon.
Liverpool.com says: It wouldn’t be a great look if Chiesa were to move back to Italy just a few months after joining Liverpool. The winger really needs to get up to speed on Merseyside and start making an impact.
Arne Slot could barely have made a better start to life at Liverpool. With 15 wins from 17 games across all competitions, the Dutchman has been earning rave reviews for the impact he has made since arriving at Anfield.
What looked like the impossible job following Jurgen Klopp’s departure has been made to look a lot easier by Slot, who has led his side to the top of the Premier League and the Champions League’s opening phase, as well as the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Of course, there is still a long way to go in the season, with some huge games lying in wait after the international break, but Slot can be rightfully delighted with his efforts so far – and it’s clear that he is rated highly among his contemporaries.
Here is what some of the managers Liverpool have come up against this season have had to say on Slot’s impact, with some of the biggest names around in agreement.
Pep GuardiolaGuardiola is yet to come up against Slot’s Liverpool, but the Manchester City boss will no doubt have been paying attention to the Reds’ new era, having admitted back in September that he needed to watch more of the Dutchman’s side.
"When I play a new club in the Champions League that I don't know, I see much more than playing against Arsenal, for example,” Guardiola said.
“Of course I want to watch Arsenal a lot, but Mikel has been there four or five years. And before with Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. Now I have to watch more Liverpool because of Arne: I don't know exactly what they do. But with Jurgen, we knew each other better.
“When I was younger, I watched much, much more than now. Now I'm lazier. I think I watch well enough to understand what the opponents want to do. I try to choose the right footage to show my players, to convince them of what to do to try and beat them."
Mikel ArtetaThe Arsenal boss has the proud boast of being just one of two managers to take points off Liverpool this season, with his side drawing 2-2 at the Emirates last month.
“Arne’s a really good manager,” Arteta said before the game. “He’s inherited a team that is successful and given it his touch to maintain and evolve in the direction he believes is the right way to do it.
“For me, they are one of the best teams in the last decade and certainly the history of this Premier League, because they competed against a team (Manchester City) that was creating record after record and they were consistently there.
“That shows a lot of relentless and winning mentality to consistently believe, even if some people feel you could not reach it.
“That’s a big credit to them and they have done the work with a clear identity, so that’s something remarkable in my opinion.”
Kieran McKennaMcKenna handed Slot his first competitive test as Liverpool boss, and his Ipswich side gave the Reds a run for their money before eventually falling to a 2-0 defeat on the opening day.
“Liverpool, the quality of the execution of the two goals, the first goal especially,” McKenna said. “We did not do that many things wrong but we were one or two yards off on our pressure in a couple of different positions and that’s how ruthless it can be.
“They’ve [the supporters] seen the level of one of the best teams in the league and we’ll all learn from it as a club and we’ll go again.”
Thomas FrankBrentford were the visitors for Slot’s first league game at Anfield, which the Reds won 2-0, with Frank seeing similarities between the new head coach and Klopp.
“It is the same players, they have been playing the same way for eight or nine years, not all of them but a lot of them,” Frank said.
“They still have crazy quality all over the pitch. They are still dangerous on offensive transitions, they scored two goals from that.
“There was a few little bits in the structure and the build-up play – they were the bigger differences.”
Erik ten HagSlot contributed to the downfall of Ten Hag at Manchester United after romping to a 3-0 win at Old Trafford. Ahead of that game, Ten Hag didn't have too much to say on his fellow Dutchman, although he did admit to Slot's side being stronger.
"They are a mature team with players who have played together for a long time and are very experienced," Ten Hag commented. "We are much more mixed and we have to build a new team."
"(Liverpool) are a team who are clear in the relationship among their players. It's what (new manager Arne Slot) has inherited. It was built over the last few years."
Arne Slot got the better of Erik ten Hag during their only encounter in the Premier League Nuno Espirito SantoThe Nottingham Forest boss is the only manager to boast a win over Liverpool this season, much to Slot's chagrin. Despite that, Nuno had plenty of kind words about the Reds after the game.
"Liverpool are so good, you cannot play them and ignore the quality they have," he said. "Defensively we were really good. It was impossible for our wingers to last 90 minutes, they had to track the runners so we needed fresh legs in the second half.
"We played well, we controlled the game in the right moments and harmed them. This is a moment to enjoy for our fans. It doesn't last long but our fans are amazing and this is a big help for the players."
Gary O’NeilWolves ran Liverpool close at Molineux in September, with the Reds coming away with a 2-1 win despite not quite being at their best. Nevertheless, former Liverpool youth coach O'Neil was very complimentary about Slot ahead of the game.
“He is excellent, coaching-wise and the way he sets his team up,” O’Neil said. “It’s not a surprise to me that he has started well.
"Liverpool is very well run and very well organized, there’s no real mess there to go in and fix. He has gone into a well-run football club with a good squad and he’s a good coach.”
Xabi AlonsoThe man who many thought would be in charge of Liverpool right now at the start of the year, Alonso was handed a major lesson when his Bayer Leverkusen side was beaten 4-0 at Anfield just last week. The former Reds midfielder though clearly thinks highly of the man who ended up replacing Klopp.
“Liverpool are in a great moment. I followed Arne Slot when he was at Feyenoord. I know his approach. That combined with the intensity here at Liverpool is a nice mixture," Alonso said before the game.
“That’s why they are top of the Premier League and the Champions League. In all areas they are strong.
“The manager has done a fantastic job in the past three months. For us it’s a big challenge to come here. At the moment Liverpool are one of the best if not the best team in Europe. We have our plan so let’s see what happens.”
Unai EmeryLiverpool's most recent victory over Aston Villa has left them in a superb position in the Premier League, where they sit five points clear. Emery was unable to stop the Reds from overpowering his side on the counter, despite feeling little had changed under Slot from Klopp's time in charge.
“In some tactical things they have maybe changed something but they are playing with the same players, playing very well," Emery said before the game.
“The style we clearly can watch but more or less it’s the same power they had before. Astute tactically and offensively they are really a very strong team, collectively and individually as well. Tomorrow is a huge challenge for us to stop them, to play with our personality.”