Liverpool reach out to Jurgen Klopp with Andoni Iraola top target if Arne Slot sacked - Paper Talk

Saturday's top stories include: Cole Palmer’s personality led to his England World Cup squad omission; RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande is a leading target for Liverpool; Bayer Leverkusen are eyeing Andoni Iraola; Manchester City are interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez

Friday 22 May 2026 22:39, UK

The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday's newspapers...

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool have sensationally reached out to Jurgen Klopp as they consider the future of Arne Slot, with Andoni Iraola the number one target for the Reds if they sack Slot, but it is unclear whether the contact with Klopp is by means of asking for his advice or as a managerial candidate - The Sun

Liverpool are close to appointing Etienne Reijnen to their coaching team in a move that will remove speculation about Arne Slot's future - The Telegraph

RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande has emerged as a leading target for Liverpool in their bid to strengthen the wide attacking positions this summer - The Athletic

Liverpool are working on a deal to sign emerging Colombian talent Samuel Martinez - Daily Mail

ENGLAND

England boss Thomas Tuchel's reservations about forward Cole Palmer's personality led to his World Cup squad omission - The Sun

The Football Association is worried England's World Cup training ground in Kansas City lacks privacy and will try to erect protective fences to guard against the team being spied on by rivals - The Guardian

PREMIER LEAGUE

Bayer Leverkusen are ready to offer Andoni Iraola an alternative to Crystal Palace should the Spaniard decide to leave the Premier League - The Telegraph

Real Madrid will make a move to sign Enzo Fernandez, while Manchester City are also interested, but that may depend on the future of Rodri - The Independent

Manchester United are expected to resume talks with Atalanta for midfielder Ederson, with the Italians looking for a fee of £34.5m plus a further £4.3m in add-ons after seeing a deal with Atletico Madrid break down - Daily Mail

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Valentin Barco from Strasbourg this summer - Fabrizio Romano

Legendary defender Thiago Silva is still weighing up his options after announcing his Porto exit, but a coaching role at Chelsea's academy for the 41-year-old is not on the table at present - BBC Sport

Manchester City assistant manager Pep Lijnders will leave the club at the end of the season - The Athletic

Glenn Hoddle has launched a withering attack on club captain Cristian Romero for his plan to stay in Argentina this weekend rather than support Tottenham in their relegation decider with Everton - Daily Mail

WORLD CUP

Brazil will have to play the waiting game to find out if Neymar will be available for the final warm-up games before the World Cup - ESPN

Congo's team must isolate for 21 days or risk the ability to enter the US for the World Cup as the country deals with an outbreak of Ebola, said Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup - ESPN

A one-of-a-kind Cristiano Ronaldo trading card sold for $1.35 m in a private sale, according to Fanatics Collect, which says it brokered the deal - The Athletic

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL

Hearts want to sign York City star Malachi Fagan-Walcott in a significant six-figure deal - Daily Record

Motherwell face the prospect of losing Elijah Just this summer, following the departure of boss Jens Berthel Askou - Daily Record

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

A proposal to allow four academy sides from Women's Super League clubs to join the third tier from 2027 has been approved by the FA Women's National League board - The Guardian

CRICKET

England's best all-format players are likely to miss home Tests in 2028 because of a direct clash with cricket's long-awaited return to the Olympics - The Telegraph

BOXING

Oleksandr Usyk has been so focused in his training camp to fight Rico Verhoeven that he has banned his phone and family from the gym - The Sun