'Polish Lionel Messi' is already on Liverpool's books - and bagged twice in FA Youth Cup

Manchester United fans have labelled Eric Bailly a "genius" after he missed the crucial spot-kick during Ivory Coast's last 16 clash with Egypt.There had been nothing to separate the two sides over 120 minutes, and with penalties looming, Bailly stepped up third.The centre-back had arguably been the man of the match, but an awful penalty put Ivory Coast on the back foot.And Bailly's miss left Mohamed Salah with the chance to send Egypt thought, which he took with ease.But United fans are delighted with Bailly as Salah will now spend more time on International duty, rather than returning to Liverpool."Bailly missing a penalty so Salah can't return to Liverpool tomorrow," one fan cheekily tweeted.Another added: "Bailly missing the pen to keep Salah in the AFCON and Liverpool without their star player, chess not checkers.""Only good thing about Bailly missing the penalty is that Salah doesn't come back for Liverpool," a third tweeted.However, one Liverpool fan was quick to point out a floor in their thinking: "Finals are on the 6th and Liverpool play [in the Prem] on the 10th I think soooo…???" Should the AFCON change its dates? Let us know in the comments section Liverpool have lost two of their main stars to the AFCON this season, with both Salah and Sadio Mane still in the competition.Mane's Senegal progressed to the quarter-finals on Tuesday evening after beating Cape Verde 2-0.Jurgen Klopp has also been without Naby Kieta, but the midfielder is on his way back to Anfield after being knocked out of the competition.On the other hand, United had only lost Bailly, Amad Diallo, Hannibal Mejbri.

Chelsea have expanded the size of their away dressing room at Stamford Bridge, spending thousands.Liverpool and Brighton are understood to have complained about the facilities when they visited the ground this season, according to Sportbible, with conditions thought be to be cramped.Players also had to share the same room as management and staff, something not typically done in the Premier League.Meanwhile, the Premier League’s coronavirus regulations provided a minimum size requirement for dressing rooms, to help squads socially distance.The west London side have had to push through the media area to enlarge the dressing room and comply with regulations.Jurgen Klopp missed Liverpool’s trip to Chelsea after testing positive for Covid. Assistant Pep Lijnders had to take charge of the 2-2 draw, but then tested positive himself the following week, causing postponement to Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal.It’s believed that the Reds complained about the conditions at Chelsea.

Paulo Dybala is a transfer target for Liverpool according to reports in Italy.

A former Barcelona player has claimed Lionel Messi is already thinking about returning.

Lionel Messi must know what they are doing with a ball at their feet.And Liverpool youngster Mateusz Musialowski, aka 'The Polish Messi' is proving with every passing game that he could be the next big player at Anfield.Jurgen Klopp has recently made a habit of blooding some of the Merseysiders’ top academy stars in and amongst the first team.Kaide Gordon, Tyler Morton, and Conor Bradley have all been handed opportunities with the first team, while the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones have all blossomed under the former Borussia Dortmund manager’s guidance.And if the evident admiration and shock in Virgil van Dijk’s reaction to the young Polishman is anything to go by, then Musialowski could soon be coming to a Liverpool match near you.“Can we talk about his crossing?” Van Dijk said to the F2 Freestylers, after the 18-year-old whipped in a string of devilish crosses.“His crossing is magnificent! The consistency is scary.”Liverpool beat Arsenal to the attacking midfielder’s signature in August 2020, after he impressed Klopp and the Reds’ scouts during a training camp.He has since been awarded his first professional contract at the club.HAVE YOUR SAY! Can Mateusz Musialowskibecome a Liverpool legend? Comment belowMusialowski first appeared on Liverpool’s radar after some truly exceptional displays with Polish side SMS Lodz, where he netted an eye-watering 133 goals in 88 matches."When I see the space, I just go for it,” Musialowski said during the video.“I have seen a lot of Lionel Messi goals like that, so I try to be like him and I want to repeat it."In similar fashion to the legendary Argentinean, reports from the Athletic claim the Polish star brought a beaming smile to Klopp’s face when he stuck the

Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has dismissed claims the title race is 'back on' following Manchester City's draw with Southampton on Saturday.

Manchester City target Julian Alvarez has previously discussed the pleasure he received by playing with record Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi at international level.

It was a near perfect Sunday for Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson as his side beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park, but the skipper was fuming at the final whistle.After Manchester City dropped points away to Southampton, Liverpool knew that victory would shorten the gap between them and the Premier League leaders, and goals from Virgil van Dijk, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fabinho secured three vital points.The travelling away support were delighted as they saw their side win again even without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, and Henderson showed his appreciation by giving his shirt away at the end of the match.But unfortunately for Henderson, it didn't reach the intended recipient.Footage has emerged of Henderson going over to the away support to hand his match-worn shirt to a young Red, only for it to be snatched by another fan.Obviously an item like that is one of a kind, and certainly a sentimental shirt to receive, but unfortunately for the young supporter what was meant to be his gift was taken by another fan who seized the opportunity.It doesn't appear at thought that shirt was handed over to the intended supporter, but the footage does show Henderson gesturing that he will go and grab another shirt instead, and gift it to the fan.Although it may not be the match-worn shirt, it's still a touching gesture from Henderson, which makes up for the rather unsporting act from the other Liverpool supporter.Liverpool are now nine points behind City with a game in hand, and the Premier League title race may not be over just yet, as Jurgen Klopp's side are planning an almighty challenge.It will take some collapse from City though, who has won their previous 12 Premier League games until drawing 1-1 against Southampton.

VAR drama in Liverpool's win over Crystal Palace caused uproar amongst Premier League fans.The opticians joked that they would rebrand after a controversial penalty decision during the closing stages of the Reds' victory at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.Following a VAR review, Liverpool were awarded a spot-kick in the 89th minute, with Vicente Guaita penalised following a collision with Diogo Jota inside the area.Fabinho then stepped up to score from 12 yards and seal all three points and avoid a nervy ending to the match by putting Jurgen Klopp's side 3-1 up.Fans of rival clubs were quick to take to social media to react to the incident following the decision and the Specsavers Twitter admin could not resist getting involved.Shortly after the match ended, they tweeted: “50,000 likes and we’ll change our name to SpecsaVARs.”With the post immediately blowing up and the likes flooding in, a comment was soon added to the post, consisting of a Google search which read: “Are tweets legally binding?”The tweet is fast approaching the like target of 50,000 and has already garnered in excess of 40,000 likes.Was VAR right to award Liverpool a penalty against Crystal Palace? Let us know in the comments section below.The VAR drama at Selfhurst Park was the latest in a string of contentious decisions in the Premier League this weekend, with the officials coming under fire from fans and pundits alike.Several penalty shouts fell on deaf ears, while Tottenham Hotspur's Matt Doherty was seen by many to be lucky not to be sent off for a horror tackle on Chelsea's Malang Sarr later on Sunday.As for Liverpool, Fabinho's penalty in the closing stages added to first half goals from Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to secure a

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp watched his side beat Crystal Palace 3-1 on Sunday and marked the occasion by handing out free beers to supporters waiting by the team bus.The German is never a man to celebrate an important victory quietly on the touchline and he was no different when on his way out of Selhurst Park with his players after leaving the stadium.Klopp was spotted meeting Reds fans after the game, having hopped off the team bus with some bottles of Peroni for lucky fans who sent off their team after a battling display in south London.The 54-year-old made time to hand out a few bottles of the Italian lager to delighted fans, who then took snaps of Klopp and their priceless memorabilia to capture the moment.Eagle-eyed fan Amar Kanwal spotted the moment Klopp came off the bus and his footage of Klopp circulated around social media.No one knows the exact reason why Liverpool had the beer waiting on the bus, but with a winter break coming up, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for the club to raise a glass with their loyal fans.The Reds needed to beat Palace to capitalise on a rare slip-up from Manchester City in their 1-1 draw against Southampton on Saturday and the Merseyside outfit began in perfect fashion.Virgil van Dijk rose high to meet Andy Robertson’s corner and power home a bullet header after just eight minutes to hand them the lead.HAVE YOUR SAY: Will Liverpool catch Manchester City in the race for the title? Comment below.Liverpool controlled the majority of the first half and doubled their advantage when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck home from another Robertson pass, although there were questions as to whether the goal should have been ruled out by VAR for offside against Roberto Firmino.Palace missed a

Liverpool fans have beamed over Trent Alexander-Arnold 'out of this world' ball that led to the Reds' third goal on Saturday.The Reds made an electric start at Selhurst Park with Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain finding the net.Liverpool looked like they were going to waltz through the clash, but a Crystal Palace revival had the Reds on the ropes at half-time.Odsonne Edouard halved the deficit to one, but Alexander-Arnold cut through the Palace defence with an outrageous ball that left Jota one-on-one.Jota was controversially awarded a spot-kick via VAR, and Fabinho tucked it home as Red's fans blushed over Alexander-Arnold's ball."Contentious penalty decision but that pass from Trent is sublime," one fan tweeted.Another added: "What other right back in the history of the sport can do this kinda s*** man.""Different gravy it’s just normal him picking out players with ease," a third tweeted."Evidently proof he’s the best RB to grace the Prem," a fourth claimed. What do you think of the ball? Let us know in the comments section The three points for Jurgen Klopp's side moved the Reds to within ten points of Manchester City with a game in hand.Liverpool were able to make up ground on the defending champions after their 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday.

Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema has rushed to the defence of former Barcelona rival Lionel Messi following criticism of the Paris Saint-Germain player.Messi’s start to life with the Parisian giants has been hugely underwhelming since his arrival in the summer when compared to his Barcelona days.The 34-year-old has impressed in the Champions League with five goals in five appearances but is struggling to adapt to Ligue 1, having netted just one goal in 11 domestic league matches.But the Argentine ace has now received unlikely support from his decade-long El Clasico rival Benzema, with the Frenchman voicing his frustration at those criticising Messi.Benzema told French channel TF1: “How won’t he succeed?“It is just a period of adaptation because he is not scoring a lot of goals. But watch what he does on the pitch.“In any case you cannot criticise a player like that.

Jamie Carragher's revelation about Lionel Messi isn't the first time that a Liverpool hero has been called a "donkey" by the PSG forward. The Sky Sports pundit explained on Friday Night Football that he received an Instagram DM from "the man himself" last year."I had a little pop at Ronaldo earlier in the season, didn’t think it was a great signing for United, then I said the example of Messi, I didn’t think Messi's a great signing for PSG," Carragher explained."It was on Monday Night Football and I got a private message on Instagram."I will not be showing private messages but he basically called me a donkey."Carragher's story had football fans in hysterics, but it is one which current Reds midfielder James Milner has told before.After an incident with Messi in a Champions League game, Milner revealed to the Daily Mail in 2019: "He wasn't happy."He was giving me plenty in Spanish going down the tunnel at half-time as well.

Jurgen Klopp's side are also reportedly ready to make a surprise move for Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.Daily Star Sport has taken a look at the latest Liverpool transfer news below. Liverpool are now the frontrunners for Denis Zakaria's signature alongside Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, it has been reported.ESPN reports Liverpool, Bayern and Dortmund have made the "most serious" approaches for the player, according to a source close to the negotiations.

Lionel Messi slid into Jamie Carragher's DMs to call him a "donkey", the Liverpool legend has revealed.He and punditry partner Gary Neville were discussing the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner ahead of the Friday Night Football match of Watford vs Norwich. The pair had previously argued over who was the superior player between him and Cristiano Ronaldo on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football earlier in the season.And Messi came up in conversation again as presenter Dave Jones asked them to pick their own EA Sports FIFA Team of the Year for 2021.Carragher declared: "No, no Messi [in my team].

Jurgen Klopp to sign an Arsenal player who he raved about in his post-match interview following the Reds’ win over the Gunners.Two goals from Diogo Jota were enough to down Mikel Arteta’s men and send Liverpool into the final of the Carabao Cup, where they will play Chelsea.But it was not a player on his own team who caught Klopp’s eye the most, instead it was Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli who impressed the German.Brazilian star Martinelli has cemented himself as Arsenal’s starting left-winger, scoring four goals and notching three assists in all competitions.He again started on the left at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night and his performance left Klopp raving about him.“Martinelli, by the way, everyone should remember that name. Outstanding player,” he said.Klopp’s comments have led to Liverpool fans calling for the Reds to make a move for Martinelli in the transfer market.Some have identified him as a possible replacement for Sadio Mane, who is out of contract at the end of next season.Would Gabriel Martinelli be a good signing for Liverpool? Let us know in the comments section...And they have now encouraged Klopp to sign the player who he was so impressed by on Thursday night.“Oh wow.

tennis player has a net worth more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's combined, yet you've probably never even heard of him.Romanian Ion Tiriac, who hung up his racket in 1979, only made around £200,000 during his career.He won the French Open Doubles title in 1970 and reached the semi-final of Wimbledon that same year before fading into relative obscurity.Following his retirement from the game, the Romanian embarked on a coaching career and worked with the likes of compatriot Ilie Nastase and even a young Boris Becker.In the decades since, he's proved himself a savvy businessman and made a string of good investment decisions which saw him turn that cash into a fortune believed to be around £1.5 billion.In comparison, his wealth dwarves the combined net worth of Messi (£440 million) and Ronaldo (£368 million) who are two of the richest active sports stars on the planet.Towards the end of the Cold War, Tiriac took advantage of fading communism in his native Romania to become the first to open a privately-owned bank, and the Tiriac Bank has been a huge financial success.Under the company Tiriac Holdings Ltd, he has since branched out into retail, insurance and airline businesses and by 2007 had been named by Forbes as Romania's first billionaire.According to data compiled by Forbes, he's the third wealthiest man in sport, behind WWE owner Vince McMahon and NBA legend Michael Jordan.What's the first thing you'd buy if you had Ion Tiriac's fortune and why? Tell us in the comments section below...Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox -

Liverpool are looking to land Fabio Carvalho for a paltry £5m with his contract at Fulham expiring this summer.However, the west London side are still not happy with the Reds after relations soured between the two clubs over how the Harvey Elliott transfer was conducted.Jurgen Klopp is not the only player interested in the Portuguese ace with West Ham also in the race.And Fulham might prefer their London rivals to Liverpool simply because they are less than happy with them for bullying them into giving up top talent Elliott on the cheap.Carvalho has been in rampant form for the Cottagers this season, scoring seven and assisting two in the Championship.He is the latest production from the club’s academy but the 19-year-old’s contract is set to expire this summer and he has no plans to renew.It means Marco Silva is set to lose the highly-rated starlet for nothing - unless he is sold this month.And according to The Sun, Liverpool have taken up a major interest in his services as they scour the bargain bin.Despite being a major talent, they are ready to make a bid worth just £5m - forcing Fulham into an uneasy decision.But they have not forgot how they were forced into selling the Anfield outfit Elliott - the last top talent to come out of Motspur Park.In a similar-shaped deal, the youngster was set to leave at the end of his contract while Liverpool swooped in.Rules state that clubs are entitled to compensation if they lose a player under the age of 24 for nothing for developing and training him.Fulham demanded £7m for Elliott but Liverpool refused, with the Professional Football Compensation Committee ruling on their side by pricing the teenager at an initial £1.5m with a further £2.8m in future payments as well as a 20

Victor Lindelof named Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as his number one pick for FIFA's TheBest player as the 36-year-old missed out on the top three for the first time since the award's inception.

Two years ago today, Liverpool were 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, with two games in hand on nearest rivals Manchester City.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski for FIFA's The Best Men's Player award have been revealed.Lewandowski won the award for the second year in a row following his stunning form during 2021, as he ended last season with a record 41 Bundesliga goals.He had previously finished as the runner-up to Messi at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in Paris back in November, with the Argentinian collecting a record seventh award.This time around, though, it was Messi finishing second to Lewandowski, while Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah finished in third place in the standings.How the world's best players voted for this year's award has now been revealed, with some of their choices being more surprising than others.National team managers and captains each get the chance to vote for their top three, as does one journalist from each FIFA member country.Fans also get a say in the voting once the shortlist for the award has been released.The Mirror report that eventual winner Lewandowski voted for both Messi and Ronaldo, in second and third respectively, behind Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.Did Robert Lewandowski deserve to win FIFA's The Best Award? Let us know in the comments section below.Italy international Jorginho had been thought to be in the running for the award as well as November's Ballon d'Or having won the Champions League and the Euros in 2021.However, Lewandowski did not receive any votes from Messi, who instead selected his PSG team-mates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as his top two.Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was Messi's third choice to win the award.Lewandowski was Ronaldo's number one choice, though, named ahead of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho by the Portugal captain.Want to be on the ball with all of the