Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Thursday, January 19.
Liverpool could change Mohamed Salah role as 'new' winger emerges for Jurgen Klopp
It was a rare abiding memory of joy during a difficult opening few months of the campaign for Liverpool, writes Ian Doyle.
As Harvey Elliott waited on a VAR check to see whether his initially-disallowed strike would be allowed to cap a 7-1 Champions League romp at Rangers back in October, Mohamed Salah took a piggyback ride on his younger team-mate as it became clear the goal was about to be given.
The duo have struck up a close bond since Elliott arrived at the club back in July 2019, Salah offering sage advice to the teenager and, in the event of Elliott's sickening injury at Leeds United last season, first on the scene to urge immediate treatment for the stricken player.
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And it appears their immediate Liverpool futures could now be intertwined after events in the FA Cup third round replay win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday evening.
With Salah on the bench, Elliott instead filled the right wing attacking role having spent much of the campaign operating in the midfield three. The youngster responded with arguably his finest performance in a Liverpool shirt and certainly his best goal, netting his fourth of the campaign when taking the ball forward a good 40 yards before lashing a left-footed shot from 25 yards that surprised Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
FSG stance on selling as truth behind Qatar and Liverpool talk emerges
In the wake of Liverpool's chastening Premier League defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday the Twitter rumour mill went into overdrive.
With Fenway Sports Group open regarding their exploration of a potential sale of the club there have been many potential bidders and interested parties mentioned, from American private equity firms to Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds. The latter became a hot topic and the source of much social media discourse in recent days with the suggestion that there was serious interest from Qatar and that a deal could be close.
The stance from those the ECHO have spoken to in the US with intimate knowledge of where FSG are currently at with the process maintain that there has, to this point, been no bid for Liverpool Football Club or indeed any real expressions of serious interest that has warranted high level discussion. The narrative around Qatari interest has been driven from social media accounts from Qatar, whose sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, will be making a sports investment play in 2023 as they look to build on the success of the 2022 World Cup that was held in the Gulf nation.
FSG have a valuation that they would want to be met, and that is $4bn or above to even have a conversation. But the consistent line has been, ever since the press release back in November that explained their ownership stance, that both a full sale and minority investment from a third party to inject fresh capital into the club would be sought, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs having been engaged since early last year to facilitate the search, which is being led by Jurgen Klopp's most trusted FSG ally, Mike Gordon.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
READ NEXT:
- Jamie Carragher singles out 'outstanding' Liverpool midfielder after win over Wolves
- Harvey Elliott has just given two examples of what Liverpool urgently need
- Julen Lopetegui makes 'sad and frustrated' claim after Liverpool beat Wolves
- Chelsea handed double Liverpool boost as Mykhailo Mudryk in contention
