Liverpool

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Trent Alexander-Arnold is "world class" and will be a player "people talk about in 40 years".

Klopp, who will leave the Reds at the end of the season, also thinks it will be good for the academy product to have a new managerial influence as he is all Alexander-Arnold knows.

The 25-year-old made his first-team debut in October 2016 and has gone on to make more than 300 appearances for the Reds, winning the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Club World Cup and Super Cup.

"He has been a fantastic player from the first day," said Klopp. "He is an outstanding talent and he has turned into a world-class football player.

"It is rare as a manger you are part of a journey for such a long time. But Trent has never had another manager so it will be good for him to get new influences in the future."

Last week, Alexander-Arnold told The Overlap podcast he "owes everything as a player" to Klopp and how he has encouraged him.

"He can be happy with the steps he has made," added Klopp. "I have nothing bad to say about him and his development.

"He has a story that not many clubs can write."

Liverpool will have to pay Feyenoord £8.59m in compensation if they want to make 45-year-old Dutchman Arne Slot their new manager. (Daily Mail), external

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media about the importance of the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday, with the German set to take charge of the Reds in the fixture for the final time.

Before the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media about the importance of the fixture and facing Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager for the last time.

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Feyenoord boss Arne Slot is a leading candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.

Klopp announced in January he would leave Anfield at the end of the season and the Reds have been conducting extensive research around a number of candidates.

Slot, 45, led Feyenoord to the 2022-23 Eredivisie title. This season, they have won the Dutch Cup and are second in the top flight.

Is Slot the right man for the Reds or is there another potential manager more suitable to replace Klopp?

Let us know your thoughts here

Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park on Wednesday (20:00 BST kick-off).

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• When asked about VAR after Sunday's win over Nottingham Forest: "The idea of VAR was to tidy up as many decisions as possible. Statically, it's shown that it is doing that. As long as they keep learning and speeding it up, I still think it's a good thing for the outcomes of games. I appreciate that it can get in the way of things from a supporter's point of view, but there has to be some form of getting these decisions right. They are doing they best they can, with a better way of doing it, with VAR."

• On his first Merseyside derby at Goodison: "I'm well aware of the records that people have been telling me. I'm looking forward to the game. I didn't grow up here so I don't have the depth of understanding [of the rivalry] but what I do understand is how important it is to be Everton's manager - in all games, but particularly this one."

• On the fitness of his forward line: "Beto definitely won't be available for the next couple of games. It's good news so far - he's had all the checks needed and he's fine. He just took a real knock. [Dominic Calvert Lewin] is hopeful that he'll be back. We'll wait and see until tomorrow."

• On full-back Vitaliy Mykolenko: "He continues to improve. He's very quiet around the place but he's very professional in what he does. He's learned and progressed, and he continues to do so. It's not easy dealing with players one on one but I think he's done very well. I still think there's more to come and he's a very good player."

• On Idrissa Gueye after a strong performance on Sunday: "He knows the game and he reads the game very well. He's done well with injuries recently - there's been close decisions on whether we can play him or not and he's come through. He's an important figure around the group."

• On Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who is set to manage in his final Merseyside derby before leaving Anfield in the summer: "Aside from being Everton's manager, massive respect for what he's done here and his other clubs. It's not easy to build things. It's not easy to get the time and belief to build things and he's done it at three clubs. Massive respect for that."

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Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media before the Merseyside derby at Everton on Wednesday.

Here are the key lines from the Liverpool boss:

• Forward Diogo Jota will be out for two weeks after injuring himself at the end of Sunday's win against Fulham.

• He hopes to have "fresh legs on the pitch" after resting Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah at the weekend, but "nothing is definite yet" as the team will train later on Tuesday.

• On the Merseyside derby: "I don’t know when my first derby was but I always knew how important it was. Now I know it and I feel it. My understanding has developed over the years but they are always difficult games, especially there [at Goodison Park]."

• He said his players "have to be cool" despite having "derby fever" on their minds.

• On the importance of the game to Everton: "We are never underestimate it when we arrive there and that is what makes it more difficult. They always look ready for the game, so we have to make sure we are ready for this one."

• He said it was "super important" to qualify for the Champions League this year and that was a "clear" focus of the team.

• On being proud of his squad and the way they have overcome injury challenges: "You have to deal with all the little setbacks. I wouldn’t say it was straight forward, but until two weeks ago it was better than people would have thought."

• He said it will be good for Trent Alexander-Arnold "to get new influences" from a future manager because he has only ever been coached by Klopp. He added: "He is an outstanding talent and he has turned into a world class football player. It is rare as a manger you are part of a journey for such a long time."

Here are a selection of the key facts and figures before Everton host Liverpool in the Premier League on Wednesday (20:00 BST kick-off).

• There have been more red cards in Everton versus Liverpool games than any other Premier League fixture (23), with the Blues' 16 the most one side has against another in the competition. Ashley Young was sent off earlier this season at Anfield, though there has not been a red card in both meetings since 2005-06.

• Everton are winless in their past 12 Premier League home games against Liverpool (D9 L3), their longest run without a league victory against an opponent at Goodison Park.

• The Reds have won their past 12 league games played on Wednesday by an aggregate score of 33-5, since a 1-0 home loss to Brighton in February 2021.

• No player has been directly involved in more Premier League goals for Everton this season than Dwight McNeil (three goals, five assists). However, McNeil has never been involved in one in 10 league appearances against Liverpool, only facing Manchester United (12) more without a top-flight goal or assist.

• Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in six goals in his past five Premier League appearances against Everton, scoring five and assisting one. He scored twice in the reverse fixture in October – the last player to score two or more goals in both Merseyside derbies in a league campaign was Dixie Dean in 1932-33, while the last for Liverpool was Dick Forshaw in 1925-26.

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At the business end of the league, Arsenal ground out another hard fought three points, this time up at Wolves. Dismissing the Gunners as ‘bottlers’ after losing to Aston Villa last week was extremely unfair.

This is the Premier League and if you have a dip, even an understandable one caused by two ultimately heartbreaking Champions League games against the mighty Bayern Munich, then a team like Villa are always capable of capitalising.

The grinding Gunners were back, however, and Liverpool did the same thing in a difficult looking game at Fulham. It would appear their demise has been exaggerated too.

For all the talk of resolve of the two title pretenders, it was Jurgen Klopp who impressed me most this time.

It is hard to leave out regular starters such as Darwin Nunez, Alexis Mac Allister and Mo Salah in a must-win game, but he did it.

It was a huge call that few would have had the guts to make, but it turned out to be the right one.

Well done, Jurgen. Your time may be fast running out at Liverpool, but you are still at the top of your game.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter

Is Sean Dyche superstitious?

On the latest episode of the Monday Night Club, the BBC Radio 5 Live team discuss Dyche ditching his suit for a tracksuit and whether that had a relaxing effect on his Everton team.

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Ruben Amorim remains Liverpool's number one target to replace Jurgen Klopp but Brentford manager Thomas Frank is being considered if the Portuguese goes elsewhere. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool watched Sporting Lisbon and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 25, in Sporting's 3-0 win over Vitoria at the weekend as they target a new striker and central defender this summer. (HITC), external

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