Liverpool supporters can be forgiven for already thinking ahead to next season after what has been a terrible 2022-23 campaign to date.
Out of both domestic cup competitions and down in 10th in the Premier League, only a Champions League last-16 tie with Real Madrid is keeping the Reds' season alive.
While questions have been asked of manager Jurgen Klopp's future, the German looks set to stay on at Anfield after reportedly being given the necessary funds to rebuild the squad.
With several key players such as Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk all in or approaching their 30s, a major overhaul may well be required.
TOP STORY – KLOPP TO STAY ON AT ANFIELD
According to The Telegraph, Liverpool's owners will provide Klopp with "significant funds" to freshen up the Reds' ageing squad ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
That could mean a number of established stars being moved on to make room for the likes of Jude Bellingham and Matheus Nunes, who are both high on Klopp's wanted list.
The report also suggests Liverpool are close to bringing in a successor to head of research Ian Graham, who helped identify Salah, Sadio Mane and Andrew Robertson as previous targets.
Klopp is said to be happy with the assurances received from his bosses as he plans ahead for what would be his ninth season in charge at Anfield.
ROUND-UP
- Real Madrid are interested in signing Kingsley Coman, but Bayern Munich will not sell for anything less than €100million, according to Sky Germany. Coman still has four and a half years to run on the contract he signed in January 2022.
- Should Coman depart, the same report indicates Bundesliga leaders Bayern may turn their focus to Borussia Monchengladbach's Randal Kolo Muani, who is valued at the same figure.
- According to Spanish outlet El Nacional, Madrid turned down a big-money offer from Paris Saint-Germain to sign Vinicius Junior last year. French champions PSG are said to have offered as much as €135m, which Los Blancos president Florentino Perez shot down.
- Chelsea chiefs are resigned to losing Mason Mount at the end of the season, per The Telegraph. Academy product Mount is due to be out of contract next year and has been unable to agree fresh terms with the Blues.
- Fabrizio Romano claims Reiss Nelson's future remains undecided as talks over a new deal with Arsenal are not at an advanced stage. The 23-year-old, who has been restricted to just two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, is set to become a free agent in July as things stand.
Thorup takes over at Norwich after Wagner sacking
Norwich City have appointed Johannes Hoff Thorup as their new head coach on a three-year deal.
Thorup replaces David Wagner, who was sacked earlier this month following Norwich's 4-0 defeat to Leeds United in the Championship play-off semi-final.
The Dane moves from Nordsjaelland, where he took over in January 2023 after being promoted from his role as assistant coach.
He led them to a second-place finish in the Danish Superliga that season to earn a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
In his first full campaign in charge, Thorup took them to the group stage of the European competition before finishing fourth in the Danish top-flight.
Speaking to the club website, Thorup said: "I'm excited, I hope that the supporters are excited as well. I hope that we can create something together. It's so important that they are proud of the team.
"I feel the connection with the people, the club and the city. Everyone I have met with so far is so humble, nice, and easy-going.
"I have my ideas and I have my principles in the way that we are going to play, but I am also here to listen to some of the good stuff that has already been done. I have to make sure that I am very clear that this is something that we do together, and everyone has to have that feeling."
The Canaries finished sixth in the table last season and will now prepare for their third consecutive season in the Championship under Thorup.
'No chance' of swapping Champions League for Ballon d'Or, says Silva
Bernardo Silva admits he prefers team awards over individual honours and would choose the Champions League over a Ballon d’Or if given the chance.
Silva was a key figure as Manchester City retained their Premier League title for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season, making 33 appearances in the competition.
The midfielder chipped in with six goals during their title charge, adding nine assists, while also scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup semi-final – a competition they ultimately lost to Manchester United.
Since joining City in July 2017, Silva has won 13 major honours, including six Premier League trophies, two FA Cups, a Champions League, and the Club World Cup.
The Portugal international was ranked the eighth-best men’s player of 2023, but when asked about the subject, he admitted that he does not rate individual awards as highly as those won by a team.
"Recognition is always nice," he told Sky Sports.
"In my opinion, I give the right amount of importance to these awards, because, at the end of the day, we are playing a collective sport. Nowadays, the individual awards always go to the strikers because they have that last touch.
"But if you understand the game, a person who is inside the game, either a player or a manager, you know how important it is to have a proper goalkeeper, a proper defender, a proper midfielder and a proper striker. Not just a proper striker.
"Strikers do not win you titles alone. The base comes from defence. If you defend well, you will attack better. When I look at individual awards and I see that only the guys who score goals win the awards, I feel a bit like it does not represent our sport that well.
"I always do my best to support my team-mates and do what is best for the team. In the end, winning the Champions League is much better than winning a Ballon d'Or. I would not swap it. No chance."
Silva’s attention now turns to Euro 2024 as Portugal aim to challenge for their second title in the competition.
The 29-year-old missed their success in 2016 due to injury, and he concedes there was a "mix of emotions" at seeing Portugal win their first major tournament while not being able to have an impact.
He said: "I was so frustrated before the competition for not going because I wanted to be a part of it. I did all the qualifying. It would have been my first big tournament, and I would have been there, but I got injured.
"But then, in the end, when they won it, I am Portuguese. Everyone was so happy; all my family, all my friends, everyone. So, it was a mix of frustration for not being there but also being very happy because it was our first big title as a country."
However, Silva is up for the challenge of competing in the 2024 edition.
"You are representing your whole country, your family and friends. We are all human. You are going to feel [the pressure] more. Playing for Portugal is always a bit different and special," he added.
"If you love the game, you want to do it well. And if you want to do something well, you feel that responsibility. That is why you feel pressure. In a way, that pressure is a good thing. It is your mind and your body telling you that you want this.
"It is up to you to try to control these emotions."
Portugal begin their Euro 2024 campaign in Group F against the Czech Republic on June 18.
Andrich and Tah have 'greed and hunger' for Germany success after Leverkusen exploits
Robert Andrich and Jonathan Tah highlighted their "greed and hunger for another title", as the Bayer Leverkusen duo target Euro 2024 glory with Germany.
Tah and Andrich enjoyed a memorable 2023-24 season with Leverkusen, winning the club's first ever Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal, with their only defeat across all competitions coming against Atalanta in the Europa League final.
Xabi Alonso's side completed the double with victory over Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium last time out.
Andrich is desperately hoping for a swift return to the same venue, where the Euro 2024 showpiece will be played on June 14, and for further silverware to follow.
"We have this greed, the hunger for another title," the midfielder said. "I think that [German Cup final] was very special for me - the Olympic stadium, training there, playing the final. These are special moments, more special than in other matches.
"You cannot buy these memories and this gives you a boost to play there again."
Team-mate Tah concurred: "I would say the double win definitely puts wind in your sails. With a lot of greed, we want to keep being successful and play the entire year successfully.
"After a few days, our batteries will again be fully loaded. We are looking forward to the tournament, which is special for all of us, so the batteries kind of charge themselves because of that."
Germany launch the tournament against Scotland on June 14, while Julian Nagelsmann's side will also face Hungary and Switzerland in Group A.
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