Welcome to the Liverpool.com daily Media Digest. From transfers to tweets, it can be hard to keep up with everything going on in the Anfield sphere. Credible, incredible and anything in between: we round it all up in one place here, taking a sideways look at the day’s media goings-on from around the world.
***
Jude Bellingham admission
Liverpool moved away from trying to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund when it became clear that the Reds needed more than just one arrival in the center of the pitch this summer — with the 19-year-old now a Real Madrid player.
“The respect that England has for Real Madrid is so high. The pedigree in Europe is the best,” Bellingham said during a press conference that saw him unveiled as a new player for Carlo Ancelotti.
READ MORE: Sadio Mané transfer message backed up as dream Liverpool team clear with schedule confirmed
READ MORE: Liverpool confirms transfer and four contract offers before next phase of Jürgen Klopp plan
“I think it (my interest in them) came from there. As you grow up, you start to mature, watch games from previous years, and understand the achievements of what came before you.
“I took a lot of interest in that and I think that’s what makes Madrid so appealing to me. It’s a great history, but you want to be one of the players that adds to it and continues to make Madrid the greatest.
“When the guys pitched their vision of the team, I was completely involved, I was all in. It wasn’t just ‘We’re Real Madrid, we want you to join us’. That’s enough for me to be honest but the ideas they had were so exciting. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”
Bellingham also admitted that he was present in Paris for the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in 2022 — and that played into his decision.
“I have always been aware of the interest from England so that was pretty normal,” he said. “But it was a bit of a surprise when my dad sat me down and said, ‘You’ve had a bit of interest from Real Madrid.’
“It was 12-15 months ago maybe. When he said that, goosebumps really. My heart was close to stopping. It’s something you don’t expect growing up, to play for a team like this. When it actually manifests itself, it’s such an extraordinary feeling.
Sign up for our EXCLUSIVE Liverpool.com newsletter!
If you enjoyed this piece, you’ll love our Liverpool.com newsletter — every weekday, we send exclusive, bonus content only to people signed up for our mailing list!
Our newsletter subscribers get a rundown Monday to Friday from one of the best Liverpool FC writers — straight to your inbox, and completely for free.
Wherever you are in the world — in the US, the UK or further afield — you don’t want to miss out.
Sign up to the Liverpool.com newsletter here — it only takes a few seconds!
“The exact moment (I made my decision) is hard to say. I had the meeting when they came to my house and I was sold, but I can’t really remember when that was. That was the moment for me when it was definite.
“I’ve always really admired the club, watching them win the Champions League. I was there at the final when they beat Liverpool. That was another huge factor but there were loads of things that went into making me decide to join this club because there are loads of reasons.
“Yes, of course at the World Cup and the international team camps (England teammates spoke to him about his future). It’s hard, all of them wanted me to come back to England and play for their teams, which I really appreciate.
“But I like the idea of this being out of my comfort zone, if you like. It would maybe have been an easier option to go back to England, my native country, and live there and play in the Premier League.”
Philippe Coutinho reunion
Steven Gerrard is eyeing another reunion with former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho, according to the Daily Mail, while Sadio Mané has also been targeted for a move to Saudi Arabia where the duo could reunite.
Gerrard is possibly set to take over at Saudi side Al-Ettifaq, with the game in that part of the world growing significantly at the moment thanks to vast new investment. He supposedly wants Coutinho, while Mané has been lined up by several clubs, with Bayern Munich having placed him up for sale.
The pair worked together at Aston Villa in the Premier League, while Gerrard and Coutinho were also teammates at Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers, who, incidentally, could make a return to Scotland with Celtic.