David Ornstein 'surprised' if Liverpool doesn't like winger as TNT responds to Jürgen Klopp
Jürgen Klopp couldn't leave without one last dig at TNT Sports, and the broadcaster has had its say back, while transfer talk rumbles on elsewhere. Here's your round-up of the latest Liverpool news.
TNT responds to Klopp
Perhaps the only surprise is that Klopp's remarks didn't come last week, when he coached his last ever 12:30 kick-off as Liverpool manager. Maybe he didn't want to allow the issue to become a distraction while his side was still in with a shot at the Premier League title.
With the 2-2 draw in the lunchtime kick-off against West Ham putting that out of reach, Klopp has now felt able to take aim at TNT Sports and the English fixture schedule, ahead of his penultimate Anfield game. He voiced a need to have people who truly understand football in decision-making positions.
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"You have to become a part of football again and not just the squeezer, that is some advice from an old man on the way out," Klopp said. "People can survive without matchdays from time to time. City, Arsenal, us out in the quarter-finals [of European competitions], not a reflection of quality but that we couldn't deliver on the day.
"I had a chat with TNT — a television channel I will never watch again — and they said they pay us to play football but I don't see it that way, football pays them. They are still happy and collect subscribers but you can take me off."
And TNT has now responded to Klopp. In an amusing post on X, it focused on another of the Liverpool manager's lines — "But if you're looking for a pundit, I speak English! I could do it!"
It then showed a mocked-up application form. 'Champions League winner', 'Premier League winner' and 'multilingual' are all ticked, but a box marked 'willing to work 12:30pm on Saturdays' is left blank.
Klopp took aim at the last reporter to make a joke of the lunchtime kick-off issue. But as he prepares to bow out, this last exchange is all fairly light-hearted, although the Liverpool manager's parting comments should certainly be heeded.
Daivd Ornstein 'surprised' if Liverpool doesn't look at winger
Recently, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported that West Ham's Mohammed Kudus has a release clause. We wrote that Liverpool should be all over a deal.
Now, in an Ask Ornstein session, that very topic has arisen. The respected journalist was asked whether Liverpool's summer search was likely to include Kudus.
"From what I hear a wide forward is among the areas Liverpool are exploring heading into the summer window," reiterated Ornstein. "I don't know if Kudus is an option but he is a brilliant player, has enjoyed an excellent debut season and it would be surprising if he wasn't on the radar of Liverpool and any other leading club looking to strengthen in that part of the pitch."
Ornstein also doubled down on the existence of the release clause, saying it is not 'alleged' but definitely there. The terms are unknown, but Brighton's unwillingness to include a clause was one of the reasons a move there for Kudus failed to materialize last summer.