Arne Slot has revealed the two things that have surprised him about Virgil van Dijk since taking over at Liverpool.

As head coach and captain, the Dutch duo are on the verge of leading Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th top-flight title. The pair didn’t know each other before Slot moved to Merseyside last summer - although they did play against each other in a 2013 fixture between Zwolle and Groningen.

They will continue working together for at least another two years following the news of Van Dijk’s contract extension this week. Reflecting on that news, Slot admitted that despite knowing of the defender’s qualities before he replaced Jurgen Klopp, he has been surprised at just what a commanding presence the 33-year-old is in the team.

“Huge news for the club, for the fans, for our players and for our staff,” Slot told Jamie Carragher, when asked about the recent contract news. “So pleased because everybody knows how good a player he is when they see him playing during the weekend and we also know how important he is.

“I also know important he is during the week. When we train he is one of the few leaders there are still in the world of football I think.”

Asked if Van Dijk has any traits he wasn’t aware of before becoming Liverpool boss, Slot replied: “His importance in and around the team when we train when we're inside this building. If you look at him you see a big man so you would expect him being a leader, but he's not only a leader because he's big and tall, but he's also smart.

“Players respect him a lot and he brings a lot of enthusiasm and a lot energy into training sessions because he knows how to motivate his teammates to get the best out of out of us every single day.

“Apart from that, when it comes to quality, I was surprised how incredibly good he is with bringing the ball out from the back. The first training session we did we were trying to get players free in between the lines and he found them constantly. Yeah, I knew how good of a player he was, how important he was, but that he was that good on the ball was even a surprise to me.”

While Van Dijk is widely regarded as among the best center-backs to ever play in the Premier League, Slot claimed the Liverpool skipper isn’t necessarily viewed as favourably in his homeland.

“Maybe at the moment things changed to a positive way during this season, but the Euros, he got quite a bit of criticism,” Slot said in the Sky Sports interview. “During the whole tournament, most pundits and fans weren't that happy with the way the Netherlands played. By being such a leader, by him being such an important figure, he got a bit of criticism.

“Yes, he did. Quite a lot, actually. I don't think he gets that criticism a lot in England. And I think the English people see things better.”

Adblock test (Why?)

Trying to scour the globe to find the next up-and-coming talent is increasingly becoming the focus for elite clubs around the world, and Liverpool is no exception.

The Reds rarely look to players in the latter stages of their careers, primarily focusing on signing those in their teenage years or early 20s, as was evidenced by the decision to recruit Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominick Szoboszlai in 2023, who were aged 20, 22 and 24 at the time.

Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo fall into the same category over recent windows, as do Calvin Ramsey and Fabio Carvalho, even if they have proved less successful transfers.

But the search for the next superstar is far from a new phenomenon, as a 2001 article in FourFourTwo indicates. The magazine rated the top 100 young talents on the planet and, 24 years on, it makes for some interesting reading.

Some guesses were on the money and the 100 features the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Andres Iniesta, Arjen Robben, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaka. That the latter was 95th, less than two years before becoming a World Cup winner, and just six years prior to claiming the Ballon d’Or, suggests the order was little off target.

Other intriguing names include Andres D'Alessandro (second), whose main achievements came in South America, while third-place Leandro Bonfim didn’t earn a single international cap, and Mourad Meghni in 10th enjoyed his best years in Italy with Bologna and Lazio, but didn’t even play 100 Serie A games.

The 2001 list is particularly riveting when analyzing Liverpool, particularly given it had six representatives in the top 40 at the time: Chris Kirkland (38th), Gregory Vignal (29th), Milan Baros (21st), John Welsh (14th), Anthony Le Tallec (9th), Florent Sinama-Pongolle (7th). None had overwhelmingly successful careers - Baros’ Euro 2004 Golden Boot-winning displays are the highlight from the group, but in contrast Welsh spent the majority of his career in League One and League Two.

The list also contains plenty of future Reds, again, several appearing near the top. Fernando Torres wasn’t nicknamed “El Nino” for nothing - he came in fourth, one place ahead of his one-time Liverpool team-mate Jermain Pennant. Current Liverpool coach Johnny Heitinga was 17th in the rankings and was on Ajax’s books at the time.

But a future Red managed to take the crown in FourFourTwo’s predictions. Djibril Cisse, then on the books of Auxuerre, came in first, three years before his move to Anfield. The Frenchman had a mixed career, with the highlights including earning 41 caps and playing a part in Liverpool’s historic 2005 Champions League success in Istanbul.

Cisse even scored a penalty in the shootout against AC Milan and netted a year later in the 2006 FA Cup final victory over West Ham United. Injuries ultimately derailed his Liverpool stint, including a broken leg in October 2004 that even led to suggestions the limb could have been amputated had he not received urgent medical attention.

The now 43-year-old managed just two seasons on Merseyside and returned to France with Marseille in 2006. Cisse went on to play for Sunderland, Panathinaikos, Lazio and Queens Park Rangers in a globe-trotting career that also included spells in Qatar, Russia and Italy.

An indication of how old the FourFourTwo list is, Cisse’s son, Prince Kobe, is currently part of Liverpool’s Under-18s squad.

Adblock test (Why?)

Conor Bradley had a surprise awaiting him when he arrived at Liverpool training on Friday.

The defender has enjoyed a sharp rise in recent years at club level, establishing himself as part of Jurgen Klopp ’s squad and becoming an integral member of Arne Slot ’s soon-to-be title-winning team. With Trent Alexander-Arnold expected to leave this summer, Bradley could even be the club’s next first-choice right-back.

But the focus on Friday was away from his Liverpool achievements, and his accomplishments on the international stage. Bradley was presented with the Northern Ireland Men’s Player of the Year trophy at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre.

Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah handed the trophy to a sheepish Bradley, with the award for the 2024 calendar year in which Bradley started all 10 of his country’s matches and scored four goals. The 21-year, who typically plays in a more offensive role for Northern Ireland, even captained the side in October’s matches against Belarus and Bulgaria.

“I’m really proud to win that award,” Bradley said. “Obviously, 2024 was a good year, not only for me but for the whole team.”

The Liverpool defender won’t be back in international action until June when Northern Ireland faces Denmark and Iceland. For now, he’s preparing to add a Premier League winner’s medal to his collection that already includes two Carabao Cup triumphs and an FA Cup.

“It would be really special if we can get over the line," Bradley said in an interview with BBC Sport NI. “Whenever you join a club like Liverpool you dream of winning the Premier League. I have supported Liverpool all of my life and bringing home the Premier League would be so special.

“It's my dream club,” he added. “I am a Liverpool fan all my life so I am enjoying my time here. I just want to keep working really hard and keep doing well for the club and keep bringing trophies home if possible.”

Bradley has made 24 appearances in all competitions this season, but it could have been more were it not for a series of injuries, including two hamstring issues during the winter.

“It's been a bit of a frustrating year for me with injuries, but I am really happy to be back and back with the team, and hopefully I can help as much as I can and bring the Premier League home,” he said.

Bradley is likely to start at Leicester City on Sunday with Alexander-Arnold still recovering from the ankle injury. Arne Slot said Liverpool’s no.66 could be back on the bench at the King Power this weekend.

Adblock test (Why?)

Arne Slot has revealed that Trent Alexander-Arnold's future is not yet decided, leaving the door open to the possibility of the right-back remaining at Liverpool beyond the summer.

The 26-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season and, as things currently stand, he is set to walk away for nothing. It’s expected that Alexander-Arnold will agree terms with Real Madrid and become the latest high-profile star to move to the Bernabeu for free.

But nothing is yet in place or has been signed with Real, even if a switch to La Liga feels increasingly likely. Until anything is confirmed, the option of Alexander-Arnold remaining is still on the table and Slot has already hinted that his future isn’t sewn up quite yet.

“The outside world does not know what is going to happen,” the Liverpool head coach said after the March international break, speaking for the first time since the reports on Alexander-Arnold broke. He has failed to be drawn on the subject in the weeks since, despite Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk signing extensions and ending their long-running contract sagas.

Speaking in an interview with Jamie Carragher, Slot was again giving little away, but did inadvertently explain that nothing has yet been agreed between Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool.

“You know my answer. We prefer to talk about announcements, not how things are going in the contract negotiations,” the Dutchman said during the Sky Sports interview. “What I do know is that Trent is back on the pitch, is training with us again, had a good season, so hopefully he can help us towards the end of the season by achieving what we hope to achieve.

“Where his contract ends up is something that is inside here [Liverpool’s training base] but not when you [Carragher] are here, when Richard and me… and also it’s about Trent.”

Slot was asked earlier that day about Alexander-Arnold’s situation, when addressing the media ahead of the Leicester City clash on Sunday. “I think you would be surprised if I answered differently to the rest of the season,” he said. “It is for hours the same answer: we don't talk about these things when they are not done and they are not.”

The former Feyenoord boss did explain Alexander-Arnold could return against Leicester and feature for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury against Paris Saint-Germain on March 11, while he praised the player for not allowing the speculation to impact his performances this season.

“Trent is coming back from injury and trained with us this week, he has shown his commitment and he shows me what a player he is when he is on a pitch and how much he works hard to be back with the team and the fans of LFC, everyone who watches football knows he is an incredible full-back for this club, so let's see what the future brings.”

Adblock test (Why?)

Real Madrid appears to be a popular destination for Liverpool legends, both past and present, if the current rumor mill is anything to go by.

Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso and ex-boss Jurgen Klopp have both been touted as potential successors to Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold's name keeps popping up in connection with a possible summer move to the La Liga team.

The heat is reportedly on Ancelotti, especially after his team followed Liverpool in making an earlier-than-anticipated exit from the Champions League. Speculation is rife about who might take over from the Italian, with several names of interest to Anfield regulars being thrown into the mix.

Most surprisingly, Klopp's name has surfaced, although his agent was quick to quash such rumors. Then there's 2005 European Cup winner Alonso, currently at the helm of Bayer Leverkusen, who has been linked with the Real hot seat ever since he was rumored to be in contention for the job Arne Slot now occupies.

However, another contender has slipped under the radar, perhaps overshadowed by these high-profile figures. Alvaro Arbeloa, who turned out 98 times for Rafael Benitez's Liverpool between 2007 and 2009, has since hung up his boots and taken charge of Real Madrid's Juvenil A team.

His work hasn't gone unnoticed back home, notably clinching a 'young treble' in the 2022/23 season with victories in the youth league, Champions League, and Copa del Rey.

Forbes suggests that while there may be others in Real's academy who outshine him, the ex-Liverpool full-back could still be considered for a temporary stint with the senior team if Ancelotti departs before the season ends and this summer's Club World Cup.

This would be prior to the appointment of a new permanent manager, and who knows, it could provide the Spaniard with a golden opportunity to break into senior management.

Alonso was asked about taking the Real job on Friday. He said: "It's not a good time to discuss the future. We're at a very important moment in the season. I don't want to talk about speculation and rumors. (I understand) that this is happening, but what's more important to me is what's happening right now."

Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen team is second in the Bundesliga, six points behind leader Bayern Munich with five games left.

Another reason why Liverpool are keeping a close eye on this situation is due to the uncertainty surrounding Alexander-Arnold's future. His contract at Anfield is set to expire on June 30, and he has been consistently linked with a move to the Bernabeu as a free agent this summer.

Liverpool can take pride in securing Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk on new two-year contracts over the past week, but the future of their homegrown hero and vice-captain remains up in the air. Whether Real's upheaval will influence the timeline of Alexander-Arnold's decision remains to be seen.

Adblock test (Why?)

Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen is expected to remain in the Premier League next season.

The Spanish international, who continues to be linked with Liverpool, is set to draw a lot of attention this summer due to his notable £50 million ($66.3 million) release clause. Arne Slot, meanwhile, has made a "difficult" Virgil van Dijk admission after the Liverpool captain signed a new two-year deal at Anfield.

The Cherries snapped up Huijsen from Juventus last summer for £15.3 million ($20.3 million), with plans to groom him for future success. However, injuries to other players disrupted these plans, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the 20-year-old as he has since made 30 appearances.

His progress has not only caught the attention of Spain's national team but also potential transfer suitors. Liverpool is believed to be among them, particularly now that a buyout clause has been confirmed.

Spanish outlet Relevo reports that a move within England is almost certain, with Real Madrid unsure about signing a central defender this year and questioning the hefty fee involved. This leaves Huijsen with Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool to choose from, and crucially, he will make this decision next month, coinciding with the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

In the meantime, the Spaniard is focused on helping Andoni Iraola's side qualify for European competition. Only after this will he make any decisions about his future.

The Spanish press dropping Madrid from the list of potential suitors seemingly simplifies Liverpool's job in convincing Huijsen to come on board. This is largely because he has only ever mentioned a desire to transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Reflecting on the recent buzz around his future, he said last week: "It's a big team. Every player wants to play in the maximum [level] possible. A friend called me and said, 'Go to Real Madrid.' I laughed. What am I going to say?"

Iraola was also recently asked about the transfer rumors. He said: “My only concern with Dean is he keeps his focus here. I see he trains very well. He’s very focused on improving individually, improving us as a team collectively. He knows we have seven very important games ahead of us and I see him in a really good place. No, I don’t think the noise around is affecting him and I see him in a good place.”

Adblock test (Why?)