Journalist: confirmed Liverpool has signed  £400,000-a-week player Done Deal Luis Diaz  replacement

Journalist: confirmed Liverpool has signed  £400,000-a-week player Done Deal Luis Diaz  replacement

‘Why?’: Forward told not to join Liverpool, he’ll cost £50m in two years

Burnley, Everton and Liverpool are keen on PSV Eindhoven star Johan Bakayoko but one Eredivisie legend feels a move to the Premier League would come too soon.

Jurgen Klopp’s side snapped up Bakayoko’s former PSV team-mate Cody Gakpo in January and, after a sluggish start, the Dutch international is beginning to prove his worth on the red half of Merseyside.

But while Gakpo arrived at Liverpool with a few seasons of regular first-team football under his belt, Bakayoko would put pen to paper at a very different stage of his development.

The Belgian flyer has not even made 30 Eredivisie appearances in PSV colours. And Wim Kieft, who won the European cup with the Eindhoven outfit in 1988, believes that Bakayoko still has a long way to go before he is worthy of following in Gakpo’s footsteps, either at Liverpool or at another English-based side.

Photo by NESimages/RGeert van Erven/DeFodi Images via Getty ImagesLiverpool move too soon for PSV star Johan Bakayoko

“Why (sign him) now?,” Kieft asks, writing in his De Telegraaf column. “Because you think you can pick him up now for 20 or 25 million euros rather than 60 million euros in two years?”

“Bakayoko has qualities as a right winger. But, in the Premier League, something different is asked than against FC Utrecht or Sturm Graz.

“Liverpool at this stage of his career…”

According to Fabrizio Romano and Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri, there is interest from Burnley and Everton in the 20-year-old speed demon.

Everton’s top target, however, remains Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto.

Liverpool have reportedly enquired about Bakayoko too, though a move to Anfield would see a talented but still-unproven attacker face competition from Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and the aforementioned Gakpo.

This is, however, not the first time Bakayoko has caught the eye of a European giant.

Photo by Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images

“I didn’t find it very surprising that PSG wanted me,” a confident Bakayoko told ELF Voetbal; the Ligue 1 champions failing with a £7 million January bid.

“I may not have been very well known to the general public before the World Cup. But I know what I can do and also where my qualities lie.”

MORE: BBC pundit seriously impressed by one Tottenham youngster vs Manchester UnitedRelated Topics

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Jurgen Klopp reveals that Liverpool will ‘talk to the authorities’ before Newcastle game

Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Liverpool will speak to the ‘authorities’ ahead of the weekend’s game against Newcastle United to see if Alexis MacAllister’s ban can be overturned.

MacAllister was sent off before the hour mark of Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Bournemouth last Saturday following a challenge on Ryan Christie. The block tackle lacked any real force – even Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola admitted it ‘did not look like a red’ – as both players went for the ball.

However, MacAllister did catch Christie’s shin with his left boot so referee Thomas Brammall gave the midfielder his marching orders. The decision was not overturned by VAR, but Klopp hinted that Liverpool will appeal MacAllister’s three-match ban after the game.

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola reveals ‘destroy’ fear Man City had about ‘exceptional’ Newcastle

Otherwise, Liverpool will be looking particularly light in the middle of the park, with new signing Wataru Endo in line to make his full debut against Newcastle on Sunday – less than 10 days after joining the club from Stuttgart.

“The amount of times I have been asked about it shows already it is worth discussing it again, which we will probably do,” Klopp told reporters. “I asked Macca and he said, ‘I touched him but not really’. OK. Good.

“That was all he told me and, after the game, I saw it back and if you have a list of points of what we need to give a red card, besides contact, no other boxes are ticked in that moment. It’s a decision where I think we all agree if he gives a yellow card, VAR would not overturn it and he gave a red card and VAR is not overturning it because the contact means there is no clear and obvious mistake blah blah blah.

“The punishment of 40 minutes with 10 men in that battle is already punishment enough, but let’s see. I don’t know. We have to talk to the authorities.”

When it came to decisions that went in Liverpool’s favour, opposite number Iraola felt the penalty the Reds were awarded at 1-1 was ‘very soft’ after Dominik Szoboszlai went down under a challenge by Joe Rothwell.

The award-winning Newcastle United show – The Everything is Black and White Podcast will be once again coming to you live!

On Wednesday, August 30th, our panel will be at the Tyneside Irish Centre to talk all things Newcastle United alongside the club’s former owner Sir John Hall.

We’re also excited to welcome The Times’ Henry Winter to the panel alongside BBC Radio Newcastle’s Matthew Raisbeck, and our usual panel of Lee Ryder, Ciaran Kelly and Aaron Stokes.

It’s the perfect time to chat about United with the Champions League draw taking place a day later and the transfer window closing on the 1st of September.

The Premier League season will be well under way too – so hopefully we’re talking about an unbeaten start to the campaign!

You can buy your tickets via Eventbrite by clicking here. A donation will be made to The NUFC Fans’ Foodbank and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

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Ivan Toney delivers potential Arsenal transfer hint amid Liverpool admission

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has admitted his admiration for Arsenal as speculation continues to ramp up regarding his future.

The England international, who has been linked with a transfer to Chelsea in recent times, is currently serving an eight-month suspension after breaching FA betting rules. Toney was also handed a £50,000 fine for his conduct after admitting to 232 breaches with 30 withdrawn by the FA.

Now, he has opened up about the controversy on the Diary of a CEO YouTube podcast, detailing the intricacies of the investigation for the first time publicly. The 27-year-old also spoke about his future at the Gtech Community Stadium, admitting that he wants to one day play for a club at the top level.

Speaking about rumours regarding a transfer, Toney said: “I don’t let this all affect me. Obviously, it will go on in the background but my job is to keep training well when I get the chance. In the games, keep scoring and doing well but I think that everybody wants to play at the top of the tree.

“Not that Brentford aren’t there, but I feel like playing for a big club, fighting for trophies, these kind of things, everybody wants to do. If the chance was to come along, I think I would be silly not to look more into it.”

READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Benjamin Pavard move, Thomas Partey bid, Folarin Balogun exit

The prolific centre-forward was also asked about supporting Liverpool and whilst he did speak about his love for the Merseyside-based club, he also namechecked having an admiration for Arsenal in the process. When speaking about supporting the Reds, he added: “Yeah, I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young I’ve liked Arsenal.

“I’ve liked watching Arsenal from how they play and kind of how passionate (their) fans are.”

Who gets into your starting XI vs Crystal Palace? Have your say below…

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Wataru Endo thrilled to make winning Liverpool debut

Wataru Endo was thrilled to make a winning debut for Liverpool.

The former VfB Stuttgart midfielder joined the Reds last week and was a second-half substitute for the win against Bournemouth.

“I only found out three or four days ago there was a chance [to join Liverpool],” Endo told liverpoolfc.com

“It was so, so quick. At the beginning of the week I was getting ready to play in the Bundesliga, at the end of the week I am playing here at Anfield in front of all these fans – it is crazy!”

Endo continued: “I am an experienced player, so I need to accept and deal with even this situation. It was hard… but it was special for me.”