Liverpool

Everton boss Sean Dyche has been giving his view on whether the Premier League should keep or scrap VAR after Wolves formally submitted a resolution to the league on Wednesday that will be voted on by clubs at their Annual General Meeting.

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It was a busy one at Liverpool today with plenty of media and “the documentary guys” at the club’s training ground to attend Jurgen Klopp’s final pre-match news conference before he exits stage left after Sunday’s home game against Wolves.

To start with, Klopp came in and then quickly left. Someone joked that that was going to be it, but the German quickly returned and was an open and engaging figure in what he described as the “most intense week” of his life.

He has been saying his goodbyes to the staff and players at the club, while signing shirts and reading letters from fans which have brought him to tears.

As much as he might have tried to keep it as “business as usual”, he knows this is no ordinary week as he prepares for a final farewell to the club’s fans on Sunday, which is sure to be an emotional occasion.

Among his memories, he described some of the football his side played against Manchester City at Anfield this season as the “best” they have played during his tenure as “we never controlled City like we did that day”.

Klopp also called keeper Alisson Becker’s header against West Brom his best goal and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner in the comeback win against Barcelona as the best assist. He chuckled and drew a laugh when he then joked, ‘best cross?’.

The way he spoke so highly about his time at Liverpool, the “special” city and its people, it’s clear to hear the bond he has developed with the club and its fans, who will get to show their appreciation on Sunday.

“I’m completely at peace. It’s wonderful to know I spent a big time of my life here,” said Klopp.

There was a customary booming laugh when he responded in jest that he expected to have the impact he has had.

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Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool "is a very special city" and if it needs him in the future then he will be there.

Reflecting on his nine years at the club, in a city that has his face painted on buildings in admiration, the departing manager said: "My time here has been super influential in so many ways. I know everything about this place.

"I take fantastic memories with me and friendships forever.

"The older you get, time slips through your fingers, and you look back and think, that was great. I will not forget a minute or a day of this time. I have met the best people I have ever met and I have worked for the best club I could have imagined.

"In a wonderful, very special city. Nothing is perfect nowadays but the people in this city are as close to that as possible.

"I am completely at peace. It is wonderful to know I spent a huge amount of my life here.

"I don’t imagine that the club will need my help in the future but I have got the key of the city. I'm sure for some people that is rather funny, but if the city needs me I am there. I want to be helpful in whatever way.

"The club means the world to so many people. We have very special supporters and the last nine years has meant the world to them, so I am happy with that."

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Arne Slot arrives at Liverpool with the future of some of the club's biggest stars up in the air.

Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all out of contract in the summer of 2025.

While captain and Netherlands defender Van Dijk has said he wants to be part of the club's transition after the departure of Klopp, it remains to be seen if Salah will finish his career at Anfield.

With 211 club goals - including 25 in 2023-24 despite a serious hamstring injury - since joining from Roma in 2017, Salah remains a prize asset.

Liverpool will not want the Egypt forward, who turns 32 in June, to walk away for nothing, but it is understood talks between the club and the player about a new contract are yet to start.

Will Slot build a team around Alexander-Arnold?

Former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy said: "I don't think getting Trent signed up will be a problem because he is a local lad who loves Liverpool."

Slot is known for giving young talent a chance.

With Jarell Quansah, 21, Conor Bradley, 20, and 19-year-old Stefan Bajcetic plus others, Slot will be excited at the exciting young flair he has at his disposal.

Read more about what the new Liverpool boss could bring

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Carteret Analytics - which provides detailed manager assessments to Premier League, EFL, Bundesliga and MLS clubs - has assessed Arne Slot and compared his style of football to that of Jurgen Klopp's, using quantitative metrics indicating strengths and weaknesses (as at 30 April 2024).

The company says: "There are some similarities between the two managers. Both Slot and Klopp are strong advocates of 4-3-3 formations which might assist with a transition of the current Liverpool squad from Klopp to Slot, and both enjoy identical levels of possession.

"Nevertheless, there is a notable difference in how Slot and Klopp implement the 4-3-3 formation. If Klopp is heavy metal football, then Slot is classical music.

"Slot has similarly high levels of possession, but the build and transition through the phases - from defence to attack - is much slower. Slot's teams do also seem to be more 'leaky', allowing the opposition to convert more shots to goals."

Slot has a high level of 'football intelligence', according to Carteret Analytics, and a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of his own players.

But the Dutchman "may need to adapt" in order to achieve similar levels of success as Klopp.

"He has the advantage of being well versed in a 4-3-3 formation, and as such the current Liverpool players do not have to adapt to a completely different style of play or formations," the analysts add.

"However, the pace of play could be dramatically different if Slot continues with his current approach at Feyenoord.

"And it is this that raises a key question for Liverpool supporters who have become accustomed to a particular attacking style of play under Klopp.

"Will they be happy with a much more methodical and, by comparison, pedestrian style of play?

"Or, instead of the players and supporters having to adapt to a slower style of play, could Slot himself swap his preferred classical music football for a bit more heavy metal and increase the tempo and speed of transition from defence to attack?"

Read more on what Slot brings to Liverpool here

After Feyenoord coach Arne Slot confirmed he will succeed Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss next season, here's another chance to watch The Football News Show's look at the Dutchman.

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Everton have confirmed they have offered new one-year contracts to captain Seamus Coleman and full-back Ashley Young, but Andre Gomes will leave Goodison Park when his deal expires at the end of the campaign.

Director of football Kevin Thelwell said: "Andre immersed himself in the Everton values after joining us from Barcelona in 2018 and, rightly, was a popular player with our fans."

Veteran goalkeeper Andy Lonergan is also leaving the Toffees, who have activated the one-year option on Idrissa Gana Gueye's deal, meaning he is now contracted until the summer of 2025.

Arnaut Danjuma will return to Villarreal at the end of his loan spell, but Everton will "continue discussions" with Leeds over the future of fellow loanee Jack Harrison after their Championship play-off final.

Meanwhile, on the future of Dele Alli, Thelwell said: "Dele's contract is coming to an end, but our medical team will continue to support him whilst he completes the intensive rehabilitation programme he is currently undergoing following the operation he had earlier this year.

"Both Sean [Dyche, manager] and I agree it is important we ensure Dele's rehabilitation is not impacted by his contract situation at such a critical point in his recovery."

Everton manager Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before his side's final Premier League game of the season against Arsenal on Sunday (16:00 BST kick-off).

Here are the key headlines from his news conference:

• Winger Jack Harrison will miss Sunday's game because of injury but midfielder Andre Gomes could be fit enough to be involved.

• Dyche reflected on this season as his "most difficult" in management: "Challenges in house are one thing, but when it comes from outside and the various things that have happened - the curveballs that have come along - it does make it a challenge."

• Dyche was asked about the difficulties of planning for next season while uncertainty regarding the ongoing takeover of the club continues: "We're trying to be flexible about it with the scouting system and the staff, creating a knowledge bank of varying outcomes. We've got to be ready for what comes next and that is a difficult challenge, but it's the reality. We focus on realities rather than the myths, the conjecture and the noise."

• On the upcoming vote about whether VAR should be scrapped in the Premier League, Dyche said: "Offside is the good side of VAR for me, the challenge is to bring it to a much smoother operation. There have been some mistakes made - they've got to be eradicated of course - but the business side of football is so powerful and it's so apparent that it's vital for some clubs, including ours this season, that you want those decisions to be correct. The fan engagement side of it is a trickier situation."

• Arsenal have a chance to win the Premier League title on Sunday but Dyche said that is of "no interest" to him. He added: "I'm not bothered with it. It's more about us continuing the thought process and mentality we've put in place this season. We're on a good show of form for our own reasons and it's about keeping that mentality going into the final game. It's more focusing on us going and performing."

• On the Gunners: "It'll be very difficult. The way they've performed and grown as the season's gone on, they're a top side. Currently there's another top side who are doing just as good, if not a slightly better job - as the league table would suggest. They're having a great season."

Follow Friday's Premier League news conferences

Thiago Alcantara remains the most exciting signing of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool era.

When he arrived from Bayern Munich, he had just won the Champions League and been crowned man of the match in the final.

He was arguably the best midfielder on the planet and his performances for Liverpool did nothing to suggest otherwise. The problem is: there were simply not nearly enough of them because of injury after injury after injury.

Thiago was forced off on his Liverpool debut against Everton, the same match in which Virgil van Dijk ruptured his cruciate ligament.

There were periods when the mercurial Spaniard found fitness and form, but they never lasted long.

Liverpool fans, though, will always have his performance against Manchester United in the 4-0 Anfield walloping in 2022. It was genuinely one of the best, most technically brilliant, midfield outings the stadium has seen.

Then you have Joel Matip - he is one of the best free transfers in Premier League history. He is physical, tall, brilliant in the air and even better on the ball.

The Reds eventually fell in love with the Cameroonian after a tricky start, and pairing him with Van Dijk certainly helped.

Like Thiago, injuries held Matip back - but he was a key figure in our Champions League and Premier League victories.

Fans will remember his ability to dribble the ball out from the back and go on one of his gangly, but brilliant, runs towards the opposition box.

This summer, Liverpool will need a proper defensive midfielder and a new centre-back to replace them.

Jordan Chamberlain can be found at Empire of the Kop, external

German journalist and author Raphael Honigstein sums up the Jurgen Klopp era at Liverpool - and why all of English football should be grateful that the 'Normal One' graced our game.

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Jurgen Klopp says "it is business as usual" as Liverpool prepare to host Wolves, but admits to "very emotional moments in between".

The Reds boss, who will take charge of Liverpool for the last time at Anfield on Sunday (16:00 BST kick-off), says he has already started saying his goodbyes to the staff and players at the training ground.

"There have been great moments already. Yesterday, the players said goodbye and we had a BBQ and that was really nice.

"We don’t have to pretend it is not real because it is, but it is also business as usual.

"It is a lot and I have very emotional moments in between, but there is a lot to do as well."

Klopp became Liverpool boss in October 2015 and, after a trophy-laden spell at Anfield, he has decided now is the right time to leave the club.

"Saying goodbye is never nice," he added. "But saying goodbye without feeling sad and hurt means the time you spent together was not right. This has been so it was clear it was always going to be tough.

"I still want us to play top football [against Wolves].

"It would be cool if it was not a goodbye atmosphere too and it was a football one - because that will help.

"I was never wanting to disturb the game but in this moment I probably am. Standing here and pretending it is a normal game is a challenge.

"But I hope, all together, we can put a really good performance on the pitch because we deserve that."

Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media before his last game in charge of Liverpool against Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He said it has been "the most intense week" of his life as he begins to say goodbye to staff and players.

• On being pictured alone in Anfield this week: "I love Anfield to bits, but I love when it is full. I hope that is not a picture of my time at Liverpool - alone in an empty stadium!"

• He said he has "burst into tears reading" fans letters "about what the club has meant to some people".

• On his time at the club: "A decade of your life is massive, and I will not forget a day. I was at the best club I could have imagined, in a very special city. I got the key of the city. I'm sure for some people that is rather funny, but if the city needs me, I am there."

• On Joel Matip, who will leave this summer: "Have you ever seen a better free transfer? You will not find a more wonderful person. Whoever gets him is a lucky club because he is world class and super humble. That combination is really rare."

• On assistant Pep Lijnders, who is joining Red Bull Salzburg as manager: "We have a bright future. Pep is one of the most influential coaches I have ever had. I will follow each step of him, he is a great choice."

• He said he would have voted for scrapping VAR "because these people [officials] are not able to use it properly" and "if you cannot change the people" then it does not work.

• On facing Wolves: "It would be cool if it was not a goodbye atmosphere and it was a football one. I hope, all together, we can put a really good performance on the pitch because we deserve that."

Follow all of Friday's live Premier League news conferences

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It will be the start of Jurgen Klopp's last dance on his farewell tour when he holds his final pre-match news conference as Liverpool boss on Friday.

Klopp is speaking at about 10:00 BST before he brings the curtain down on his time at Anfield against Wolves on Sunday.

The hope was the match could have been a title-winning send-off for the German, but those dreams disappeared during a poor run of recent results.

Instead, the game is expected to be an emotionally charged farewell for Klopp, who has elevated himself to hero status at Liverpool.

Klopp took over the Merseysiders in October 2015 and, since then, has combined his natural charisma and charm with the type of success that has meant he has captured the hearts and minds of Reds fans.

He has guided the Anfield club to victory in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Club World Cup and Super Cup during his stint in charge and supporters will have the chance to show their gratitude for his exploits on Sunday.

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"Before he even came to Liverpool, I believed that if you really love football it would make a lot of sense if you watched Thiago Alcantara play," said Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Thiago will leave Anfield when his contract expires this summer, having made 98 appearances.

"Technically, he is so, so good. A talent who could play in any team in the world and it was a privilege to have him with us," added Klopp.

Thiago has shared his thoughts on social media, speaking of his "appreciation and gratitude" as he bids farewell.

"The continuous support I have received since day one has been incredible. Anfield chanting, the Kop chanting... amazing, overwhelming.

"These past four years have been a time of learning for me and my family. Some wins, some defeats, but without a doubt, a life-changing experience.

"And to the fans, I don't have the words. Just know you will have my deepest gratitude forever."

The Spanish playmaker scored six goals in his time at Merseyside and lifted the FA Cup and the Community Shield in his spell at the club.