Jorginho has named one Liverpool player as the best he’s ever faced during his time in the Premier League.

The current Arsenal midfielder came to England in 2018 when he joined Chelsea from Napoli, spending four-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge before moving across London last January.

The Italy international was speaking to The Athletic Football Podcast when he was asked to name his best opponent during his time in the English top flight, ultimately plumping for Mo Salah after considerable thought.

Jorginho declared: “Kevin de Bruyne is ridiculous, but I think Salah in that period, he was another level. I think, yeah, I would put Salah first.”

When podcast host Ayo Akinwolere referenced the 2018/19 campaign in which Liverpool’s number 11 was the joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 22 goals, the Arsenal midfielder replied: “Unbelievable. You could not stop him. He was so strong, so powerful, so fast and his mentality…

“However he would shoot, if you touched the ball it would go in. For me, that season he had was unbelievable.”

Jorginho has faced Salah more often than anyone else in his career, with their 17 previous head-to-heads between their respective meetings in Italy and England producing nine wins for the Liverpool forward and only three for the Italian (Transfermarkt).

For a European champion to rate the Egyptian ahead of a top-class operator in De Bruyne is a telling indicator of just how special a player the Reds have in the 31-year-old winger.

You can view the clip of Jorginho below (from 1:07:01), via The Athletic Football Podcast on YouTube:

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Mo Salah named one Manchester City player when asked for the ‘dream’ teammate that he’s never had.

The Liverpool star partook in a Q&A with Sky Sports and fielded a series of questions about a host of footballing matters.

When asked who he’d love to play alongside as a teammate but hasn’t yet had the opportunity to do so, the 31-year-old initially named Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but upon deciding to choose a current Premier League player he opted for Kevin De Bruyne.

Salah replied: “Messi or Ronaldo, but if I pick one in the Premier League then I’d choose Kevin…He has vision and I’m sure he can find me anywhere with the ball so I would say Messi, Ronaldo and then Kevin.”

The Liverpool forward added of the £400,000-per-week Belgian: “He’s a great player, the whole team [Man City] is great. I just try to play my game and not focus on anyone else.”

Pep Guardiola has had some excellent players at the Etihad Stadium over the past few years, but arguably none have been quite as consistently sublime as De Bruyne, who was technically a Chelsea player at the same time as Salah, but the two never actually played together as the Belgian was on loan at Wolfsburg.

The City playmaker’s vision and technique is on a level that few can match, and while Liverpool have been blessed with no shortage of remarkable footballers in the Jurgen Klopp era, it’s still tempting to fantasise about what it’d have been like to have the 32-year-old picking out the Egyptian at Anfield on a weekly basis.

You can view Salah’s comments below, in a clip taken from the Sky Sports interview by @JoueursBE on X (formerly Twitter):

Mohamed Salah choisit Kevin De Bruyne comme son coéquipier de rêve !

« Il a de la vision. Je suis sûr qu'il pourrait me trouver partout. » pic.twitter.com/b55j9Yuael

— Joueurs Belges (@JoueursBE) November 27, 2023

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Manchester City could be without three key players for their top-of-the-table Premier League clash against Liverpool on 25 November.

The top two go head to head on the weekend after the international break, with both having the opportunity to lay down a serious statement of intent in what’s shaping up to be a thrilling title race.

As per Liverpool Echo, Pep Guardiola might have to plan without several prominent members of his squad. Kevin De Bruyne continues to be sidelined with an ongoing hamstring injury, while the manager has admitted to being unsure of John Stones will be fit enough to feature against the Reds.

City are also sweating on the fitness of Ederson, who was forced to pull out of the Brazil squad with a foot injury, ironically paving the way for Alisson Becker to get the nod between the sticks in the Selecao’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

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With De Bruyne valued at €70m (£61m) by Transfermarkt, and Ederson and Stones each boasting a €40m (£35m) market value, that’s £131m of talent of which Man City could be deprived for Liverpool’s visit to the Etihad Stadium in 11 days’ time.

The Reds aren’t without their own injury worries – Andy Robertson and Thiago Alcantara are definite absentees, while Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones have all missed recent fixtures – but Guardiola will certainly rue not having a key player in three different lines of the pitch to call upon if the aforementioned trio are ruled out.

A meeting of the teams in first and second, who’ve won the last six Premier League titles between them, should ideally feature a glittering array of talent on both sides. However, while there’ll be no shortage of world-class players involved, the fixture would feel slightly diluted if several big names are sidelined.

City and Liverpool aren’t alone in having to contend with extensive injury lists, which poses the question as to whether too much is being asked of elite-level footballers in the modern era in terms of the workload being imposed on them by avaricious governing bodies with scant regard for player welfare.

Whoever is fit enough to take to the field at the Etihad on 25 November, let’s hope for a memorable game of football between two top-class sides – and, of course, for an overdue Reds win at the home of their title rivals!

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Neil Jones likened one aspect of Dominik Szoboszlai’s skill set to Kevin De Bruyne when watching the Liverpool players warm up prior to the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The Hungarian went on to set up two of the goals, and as we saw last month, he packs one hell of a shot when he gets a sight of goal from 20-25 yards.

In his latest Empire of the Kop Substack column, the journalist noted how the 23-year-old’s strike of a ball differs from the technique of other Reds players.

Jones wrote: “I was watching Szoboszlai in the warm-up during the shooting drill down the Kop end. He just has this thing about him that when he hits it, the ball moves differently.

“Even brilliant players at Liverpool could strike the ball, Salah obviously can whip it anywhere he wants, Nunez can strike the ball powerfully, Alexis Mac Allister and Gravenberch can hit the ball… but Szoboszlai has this technique that just makes it move a bit quicker, a bit sweeter.

“It’s a little bit like Kevin De Bruyne, when you see him generating more power with less effort, and Szoboszlai has that. It’s a touch of class when going about his business.”

READ MORE: Ex-Man Utd midfielder believes Liverpool could win the league if they sign 28y/o colossus

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For Szoboszlai to earn comparisons with De Bruyne over one of the most crucial attributes for any elite footballer (i.e. his ball-striking technique) just sums up what an absolute jewel of a player Liverpool have in the Hungarian.

Jones’ comment about the 23-year-old ‘generating more power with less effort’ brings to mind that stunning goal against Leicester in the Carabao Cup when, with almost insulting nonchalance, he hit the ball into the net at the Kop end, and goodness did it stay hit!

Although his scoring return since joining the Reds isn’t earth-shattering (two goals in 13 games), he seems to live by the mantra of ‘if you don’t buy a ticket, you won’t win the lottery’, judging by his 21 shots in the Premier League being surpassed only by Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez at Anfield this season (FBref).

Anyone who’s seen Szoboszlai play regularly since his move to Liverpool will testify that he’s one of those players you’d happily pay to watch live, such is his grace on the ball and his energy out of possession.

If he can add more goals to his game, he’ll indisputably be in the reckoning for the PFA Player of the Year next spring.

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Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best players in the Premier League, it’s just a shame that he plays for Manchester City although it seems his heart did lie somewhere a lot different when he was younger.

In an interview with some young supporters, the Belgian was asked which team he supported as a child and then answered: “Liverpool”.

READ MORE: (Video) The best of Mo Salah as he captains Egypt to gutting 10-man draw

Afterwards, another question was posed of whether he’d ever sign for the Reds but the 32-year-old quickly said: “No!”.

It seems like the ship has sailed on our chances of ever signing the midfielder but we can at least still appreciate his talents.

You can watch De Bruyne’s comments on Liverpool (from 0:46) via @obviouslyruben on X:

수리 강아지처럼 복복 받는거 너무 웃김ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 🫳🫳 뒷목에 뭉친 스트레스 잘 씻겨내려가시겟어 pic.twitter.com/yJwg2RiCbo

— ѕєν (@obviouslyruben) October 16, 2023

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Kevin De Bruyne has picked out one Liverpool player as the best exponent of his position in the Premier League.

The Manchester City playmaker was asked by Sky Sports to rank the best centre-backs in the division at the moment, with Virgil van Dijk shortlisted alongside Thiago Silva and Lisandro Martinez.

Without hesitation, the Belgian went for the Reds’ Dutch colossus when asked who was the hardest of the three to face as an opponent.

Speaking about Van Dijk, De Bruyne gushed: “Rolls Royce. He’s got everything. Obviously I known him well but he’s got right foot, left foot, speed, height – he’s a leader. Thiago also is amazing but I just think Virgil’s got that little bit more.”

Liverpool fans might also have enjoyed the Man City star’s comparatively unflattering verdict on Martinez, with the 32-year-old saying: “Lisandro, he’s a good player but I just don’t know him well enough. I’ve not seen him enough and I only played against him once or twice.”

Despite many critics queuing up to take aim at the Reds’ imperious number 4 over the past few months, his standing within the game is evident from this endorsement by a man who’s twice been named PFA Player of the Year.

Class is indeed permanent.

You can see the clip of De Bruyne’s rankings below, via @SkySportsPL on Twitter/X:

Kevin De Bruyne RANKS The BEST Premier League defenders pic.twitter.com/ignPJtXGny

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 26, 2023

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Jurgen Klopp is blessed to have one of the most talented teams in the Premier League and one member of his Liverpool squad has been named alongside Kevin De Bruyne as one of the most talented in the league.

Speaking on Premier League Productions (via HITC), Glenn Hoddle said: “For me, it’s quite simple, [Alexander-Arnold] and de Bruyne are the best passers in the Premier League, by a country mile.

“When I say the best passers, I mean the ones that can hit the killer passes. That can take the whole team out with just one pass. He has got that ability.

READ MORE: (Video) Premier League striker urged not to join Liverpool; supported the Reds as a child

“You make movement (as a striker) and Alexander-Arnold hits you, de Bruyne is the same.”

We all know that Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the best passers in world football and so hearing this compliment will be nothing new to him, or to our supporters.

Our No.66 is still learning the ways of his new inverted full-back position but whenever he’s given the chance to exhibit his vision, it’s clear just how talented he is.

Now it’s up to the Scouser and his manager to find a way to get the most out of his unerring talents and prove everyone right, by continuing to showcase his ability on a weekly basis.

The Manchester City midfielder is undoubtedly a world-class talent too but our man has the edge with his durability and that could prove crucial when we look back on both men’s careers when they come to an end.

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Ledley King has backed Trent Alexander-Arnold to rival Kevin De Bruyne in the assists stakes during the upcoming Premier League season, a claim which’ll surely delight Liverpool fans.

The former Tottenham and England defender was accompanied by Paul Merson for Akshun AMA on Twitter Spaces were asked for their predictions on who would top the charts for setting up goals in 2023/24.

The ex-Arsenal man and Sky Sports pundit immediately plumped for the Manchester City star, leaving King with an obligation to select another player who he thinks could be in the running.

The 42-year-old replied: “I would have gone for De Bruyne, but I am going to go for Trent. If he plays in that midfield role, then I think he could be very high up on the assists.”

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The Liverpool maestro ended the 2022/23 Premier League campaign with nine assists, which placed him joint-seventh in the division but was still just over half of De Bruyne’s unmatched tally of 16 (premierleague.com).

It’s worth noting, though, that the bulk of Trent’s haul came after he was redeployed in a hybrid role in April, with a sequence of six assists in five games following the positional switch very much justifying Jurgen Klopp’s tactical tweak (Transfermarkt).

He could well continue to play in midfield during 2023/24, having also done so for England in their summer European qualifiers and for the Reds in their first two pre-season games, so there’s a strong chance that the 24-year-old will be challenging the Belgian in the Premier League assists stakes.

Liverpool’s number 66 has hit double figures in that regard in three top-flight campaigns already (Transfermarkt), and we wouldn’t bet against him doing so once again this term.

Hopefully Trent will continue to make a significant attacking contribution in the season ahead, without compromising too much on his defensive duties.

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Liverpool fans have seen that we are set to announce the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai and that means it’s time to start enjoying some clips of the Hungarian’s best moments.

One such highlight that will be of interest to our fans will be the 22-year-old’s match-up with Kevin De Bruyne and Manchester City.

READ MORE: ‘Here we go’ – Dominik Szoboszlai’s Liverpool arrival confirmed with official announcement imminent – Romano

During a Champions League clash at the Etihad Stadium, the RB Leipzig man turned the Belgian inside out and then unleashed a perfect pass to his teammates.

Let’s hope we see much more of that when our new man dons a red shirt in the exciting season ahead.

You can watch the video of Szoboszlai against De Bruyne via @PassLikeThiago on Twitter:

Szoboszlai vs KDB
pic.twitter.com/B46evxBhmk

— – (@PassLikeThiago) June 30, 2023

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Liverpool fans will be thrilled to spot Virgil van Dijk enjoying a well-deserved post-season holiday, alongside Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, with the duo dancing and signing to Beyonce’s ‘Mi Gente’.

After a challenging season where the Dutchman continued to make an impressive comeback from his serious knee injury, witnessing him unwind and recharge is a reassuring sight after playing 52 games throughout the lengthy campaign.

With an important season on the horizon, it is crucial for our No.4 to take this well-deserved break and come back refreshed, as we eagerly anticipate his triumphant return to action and our quest for glory in the next term.

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As the summer progresses, we wish all of Jurgen Klopp’s squad a well-earned break, ahead of the upcoming challenges that lie ahead.

Enjoy your break, Virgil, and come back stronger!

You can watch the video of van Dijk and De Bruyne via @virgilewis on Twitter:

beyoncé pic.twitter.com/J7CnWSLHgw

— bibi (@virgilewis) June 24, 2023

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Darren Bent has admitted he’d rather have Mo Salah in his team over Kevin De Bruyne.

The Liverpool star has become recognised as one of the best players in the world ever since joining the club from Roma in 2017 and became the highest scoring African in Premier League history this season.

Although De Bruyne is also a world-class player in his own right and helped Manchester City complete an historic treble this term Bent has explained why he’d prefer to instead have our No. 11 on the pitch.

“You look at Mo Salah, De Bruyne, Lukakau, these three guys were at Chelsea, they left and went on to become superstars of world football,” the former England said on talkSPORT (via Rousing The Kop).

“Take Lukaku out, out of the two who are left, who’s the bigger player? De Bruyne?” host Andy Goldstein questioned.

“Oh no, I’m going Salah probably,” Bent replied.

“Are you?! Who would you rather have, you’d have De Bruyne over Salah?” Goldstein hit back.

“I don’t know, Salah wins games on his own. I love De Bruyne, I’m not disrespecting him,” Bent said. “Some people can say De Bruyne, I’ve got no problem with that, but I don’t think it’s as definitive as people saying, ‘what a question, it’s definitely De Bruyne.’

“It’s down to opinion. If someone said ‘De Bruyne all day,’ I wouldn’t say ‘you don’t know what you’re talking about ‘ because he’s a great player. But Salah, the goals that he’s scored…”

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It’s hard to compare both players due to the fact that they operate in very different positions – Salah is a goalscorer while De Bruyne is in the team to create chances and help those around him thrive.

The City star may have won more trophies since leaving Chelsea but that’s not a fair point to make if we’re discussing the players as individuals.

The impact the Egyptian King had on Klopp’s side upon his return to the Premier League really was incredible and he’s one of the main reasons why we’ve picked up every major trophy possible under our German tactician.

Last season when the former Fiorentina star was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year award the former Borussia Dortmund boss labelled his star man as a ‘finishing monster’ and a ‘workhorse’ (as quoted by BBC).

Even last season when we were struggling for consistency the 31-year-old still managed to net 30 goals and register 16 assists in 51 appearances (across all competitions).

We agree with Bent and reckon Mo just about comes out on top but it’s all a matter of opinion, we suppose.

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Liverpool could take advantage of the ongoing turmoil at Leicester City and beat out interest from the Premier League rivals Tottenham for James Maddison.

Graeme Bailey indeed refused to rule out the possibility in question, emphasising that the player has yet to decide on his next destination.

“Sources close to the player insist there are a number of clubs showing an interest. We know Tottenham have always been big fans and remain so, whilst I wouldn’t rule out Liverpool coming in for him,” the reporter told TEAMtalk. “This is not a done deal in terms of where he is going to go, far from it.”

The Englishman has still enjoyed a remarkable campaign, amassing 10 goals and nine assists at a rate of a goal or assist every 123.89 minutes.

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Should Liverpool sign James Maddison?

It’s worth noting that, according to FBRef, the 26-year-old’s statistical profile is similar to that of Manchester City’s creator supreme Kevin De Bruyne (third-closest match) and reported Liverpool target Nicolo Barella (ninth-closest match).

We should note that such an evaluation is worth taking with a pinch of salt to a certain degree, though we do have a history of snapping up midfielders that are perhaps not viewed in the most transcendent of lights (though Maddison is far from considered a poor option) and transforming them into world-beaters.

With any potential combination of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo ahead of him, one has to imagine that the player (whose contract expires in the summer of 2024) would have a far more enjoyable time pulling strings in the middle of the park.

At his current age, of course, he’s perhaps a little older than what our recruitment team may have envisioned for the upcoming window. That position could very well change, however, if it’s deemed that there’s a bargain to be had in the Leicester man.

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Liverpool fans have enjoyed being at the top of the table for the past few seasons but this campaign has seen us watch from afar so far, one ex-Red was asked to name the one Arsenal and Manchester City player he would take for Jurgen Klopp’s current squad.

Speaking on ESPN, Steve Nicol said: “Partey and De Bruyne, absolutely. You need to get the ball up front and Liverpool can’t do that at the moment”.

READ MORE: Major Caicedo transfer update as midfielder set to miss FA Cup tie and Brighton make firm stance – report

It was a speedy answer from the 61-year-old but it does open an interesting debate over which players would make the biggest difference at the moment, with the goal scoring feats of Erling Haaland being impossible to ignore.

However, with Thomas Partey and Kevin De Bruyne both operating in an area of the pitch that most seem to believe we need to strengthen, perhaps many will agree with our former defender.

You can watch Nicol’s selections (from 0:17) via ESPN FC on YouTube:

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Jordan Henderson showed his class after the full-time whistle in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester City as he checked up on a rather beleaguered Kevin De Bruyne.

Both the Belgian international and goalscorer Riyad Mahrez looked exhausted after confirming their passage through to the next round of the Carabao Cup, with the Reds skipper seen having a quick word with the playmaker.

There was disappointment for the holders who must now pick themselves up in time for their Boxing Day clash with Aston Villa.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of Football Daily:

De Bruyne & Mahrez look very tired at full-time pic.twitter.com/fenD3TAyod

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 22, 2022

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For any traditional football fans the sight of two rival footballers partying together would be a disgusting one but in this modern era it’s not too unusual to see both Virgil van Dijk and Kevin De Bruyne together.

The pair were recorded in Manchester singing and dancing with sparklers and looked to be in a relaxed mood ahead of their respective nations readying to jet off to Qatar for the World Cup.

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After Liverpool’s victory and Manchester City’s defeat in the past weekend, it’s fair to assume the mood of each player would have been a little different but they both seemed relaxed and to be enjoying their down time here.

Maybe the Belgian could be convinced on a move to Anfield?

You can watch the video of van Dijk and De Bruyne via @KDBmedia_ on Twitter:

De Bruyne & virgil van dijk yesterday pic.twitter.com/2KHTum8NbP

— 𝟭𝟳 (@KDBmedia_) November 13, 2022

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