Liverpool could make a move for a ‘world-class’ £100m-rated striker once the appointment of Andoni Iraola is confirmed, journalist Fabrizio Romano has hinted.

Liverpool sacked Arne Slot out of nowhere on Saturday after previous briefings from the media that he would be staying next season, despite a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.

The Reds now want to bring Andoni Iraola in as the Dutchman’s replacement, with the Spaniard a free agent after he left Bournemouth following the expiry of his contract.

Romano has already given the ‘here we go’ to the move, with a deal expected to be completed this week for the 43-year-old to take charge at Anfield.

Should that be confirmed, then work will get underway off the pitch to give Iraola the squad he needs to improve Liverpool’s fortunes after their fifth-placed finish this term.

One area they look to need reinforcements in is in attack, especially with Mohamed Salah’s exit confirmed and the fact that Hugo Ekitike could be missing through injury until 2027.

The Reds’ current options up top include Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, Alexander Isak and RIo Ngumoha, but they will need more strength in depth if they want to compete in the league and Champions League.

Romano Hints at Liverpool Move for Eli Junior Kroupi

Eli Junior Kroupi is attracting interest from the very biggest clubs across Europe following an outstanding breakthrough campaign with Bournemouth, under the leadership of Iraola.

The Frenchman scored 13 goals in 33 Premier League appearances for the Cherries at the age of 19, which has led to contact from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the summer transfer window.

Romano has hinted that Liverpool could get involved in the race too, should Iraola’s appointment at Anfield be confirmed.

The Italian journalist issued the latest on the £80-100m-rated Junior Kroupi’s future on his YouTube channel.

He said: “I can tell you for sure, Arsenal have called, Manchester City have called, and more clubs are interested. Let’s see if Iraola goes to Liverpool. But also Paris Saint-Germain are in the mix for Eli Junior Kroupi.

“Paris Saint-Germain had some contacts. Paris Saint-Germain took some information on the player, and Paris Saint-Germain really appreciate him, and have a very good connection with his agents.

“So, Premier League giants, Arsenal, Man City, let’s see what happens with Liverpool, with Iraola, and now also Paris Saint-Germain in the mix.”

Liverpool In Talks to Sign Yan Diomande

While Liverpool could decide to join the race for Junior Kroupi in the coming weeks, one player they are holding talks to sign now is RB Leizpig sensation Yan Diomande.

Another 19-year-old who has had a remarkable breakthrough season with Leipzig, he is also in demand among some of the biggest club teams in Europe.

Reports suggest that the Reds are in talks regarding personal terms with the Ivory Coast international’s representatives, although they will face competition from Champions League winners PSG.

The Merseysiders may hold an advantage though, with it believed that the teenager currently favours joining them because he has been guaranteed more first-team minutes than he would get at the Parc des Princes.

Manchester United will complete a major transfer in the ‘next 24-48 hours’, according to journalist Andy Mitten.

Man United are planning wholesale additions to their squad this summer to ensure they are ready to compete in the Champions League alongside the Premier League, having had no European football to deal with this season.

It is no secret that the Red Devils’ big priority is to transform their midfield during the close season, with up to three new players arriving in the position to complement Kobbie Mainoo in the centre of the park.

Casemiro leaves a big void to fill after his outstanding performances alongside Mainoo under Michael Carrick’s leadership in recent months, while Manuel Ugarte seemingly looks likely to leave Old Trafford after failing to convince both Ruben Amorim and Carrick that he is worthy of a starting place.

While United could add new faces in different positions across the side, including in goal, at full-back, on the wing and in the centre-forward position, if other players leave, they appear to be focusing on midfield first.

The closest deal appears to be for Atalanta midfielder Ederson, with Fabrizio Romano revealing he is expecting it go through ‘unless something crazy happens’.

Andy Mitten: Ederson Deal Completed in Next 24-48 Hours

United We Stand editor and Athletic journalist Andy Mitten has gone one step further, revealing that he believes that the deal for Ederson will be completed in the next 24-48 hours.

Speaking on the United We Stand YouTube channel, Mitten provided an update on the deal from his information.

He said: “Manchester United and Atalanta of Bergamo do not yet have a full agreement for Ederson, the Brazilian box-to-box midfielder. However, I think, and I have spoken to people in Manchester, in Bergamo, and in other Italian cities, that an agreement is very, very close, so there’s been compromises.

“I fully expect that to be done within the next 24-48 hours.”

Having revealed in January that he’d been diagnosed with stage-four cancer, the most severe category of the disease, Kevin Keegan returned to the public eye in remarkable fashion, appearing on stage at King’s Lynn’s Corn Exchange theatre looking, by all accounts, trim, sharp and full of the characteristic energy that made him one of the most beloved figures English football ever produced.

Keegan remains an enormously popular figure across the game, from Liverpool to Hamburg, from Newcastle to the England dugout, and when he walked back out in front of an audience, the warmth directed at him was palpable. He even addressed his prognosis with his trademark humour, recalling asking his consultant about his success rate (per The Telegraph):

Kevin Keegan Revisits Rant That Defined a Title Race

No evening with Keegan would be complete without someone asking about that moment, the one that’s been replayed thousands of times, the one that encapsulated the emotion of the 1995/96 Premier League title race in a single outburst.

When an audience member asked whether he regretted his infamous “I will love it if we beat them” rant, directed at Sir Alex Ferguson live on Sky Sports during the most intense period of Newcastle’s ultimately doomed title challenge, Keegan’s response was disarmingly honest. The first time he heard it back, he said, he barely recognised himself: “I said: who is that bloke? I just didn’t think it was me. It certainly didn’t sound like me.”

It remains one of the most iconic off-the-pitch moments in Premier League history. Newcastle had been 12 points clear at the top of the table and were being reeled in by Manchester United, with Ferguson publicly appearing to get under Keegan’s skin through a series of remarks about other clubs’ desire to compete.

When Keegan finally snapped, it effectively handed United the title. Whether that’s entirely fair is debatable, but the clip followed Keegan everywhere in the three decades since.

Kevin Keegan Admits he Simply Does not Like Sir Alex Ferguson

It was within the same answer that Keegan delivered perhaps the most candid line of the entire evening:

The rivalry between the two men during those extraordinary mid-nineties title races clearly left a mark that time hadn’t erased. Ferguson’s mind games, his public comments about Leeds United not wanting to hand Newcastle the title, and his relentless psychological pressure on Keegan during that period evidently left a lasting impression. An impression that Keegan, even now at 75, and having stared down a stage-four cancer diagnosis, has no interest in papering over.

He respects what Ferguson achieved, but it doesn’t mean he has to like him. And there’s something refreshingly honest about a man of Keegan’s stature being willing to say so out loud, even 30 years later.