Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Alisson Becker after agreeing a £66 million ($86m) fee with Roma for the Brazilian goalkeeper. The Reds who have been in intensive talks with the Serie A club this week, now have permission to speak to the player about a move to Anfield.
Becker is now due to hold talks over a move to Anfield as Jurgen Klopp closes in on a major summer signing.
The deal would make the 25-year-old the most expensive goalkeeper in history, and comes as Jurgen Klopp seeks to strengthen a position that was a problem long before Loris Karius' much-publicised errors in the Champions League final in May.
Liverpool are yet to lose in the European Cup/Champions League to Roma in three previous meetings. Liverpool have scored 33 times in the Champions League this season. The Reds fans played their part against City in the quarter-final and its expected to see that same passion and energy on and off the pitch.
Whereas Roma have won just one of their last 14 Champions League games on the road – and that was at Qarabag earlier in the season – and are without a clean sheet in their last 26 away games in the competition.
Newly crowned PFA Footballer of the Year Mo Salah has scored in his last four Champions League starts for the Reds and will meet up with a number of old friends and former team-mates. That friendship will be put on hold for 90 minutes.
AS Roma vs Liverpool starting line-ups for tonight's Uefa Champions League semi-final second leg
AS Roma Starting XI:
1 Alisson (Goalkeeper)
24 Alessandro Florenzi (Defender)
44 Kōnstantinos Manōlas (Defender)
20 Federico Fazio (Defender)
11 Aleksandar Kolarov (Defender)
7 Lorenzo Pellegrini (Midfielder)
16 Daniele De Rossi (Midfielder)
4 Radja Nainggolan (Midfielder)
14 Patrik Schick (Forward)
9 Edin Džeko (Forward)
92 Stephan El Shaarawy (Forward)
Subs: Skorupski, Jesus, Under, Gonalons, Peres, Gerson, Antonucci
Liverpool Starting XI:
1 Loris Karius (Goalkeeper)
66 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Defender)
6 Dejan Lovren (Defender)
4 Virgil van Dijk (Defender)
26 Andrew Robertson (Defender)
5 Georginio Wijnaldum (Midfielder)
14 Jordan Henderson (Midfielder)
7 James Milner (Midfielder)
11 Mohamed Salah (Forward)
9 Roberto Firmino (Forward)
19 Sadio Mané (Forward)
Subs: Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Ings, Solanke, Woodburn
Real Madrid star player, Cristiano Ronaldo has blamed Barcelona's Lionel Messi for Barcelona’s Champions League quarter final exit to AS Roma on Tuesday.
Barcelona gave away 4-1 lead in the reversed fixture in Camp Nou and were thrashed 3-0 in Rome on Tuesday. Messi was not enabled to lift his side from slumping as they crashed out on away goal rule.
Spanish outlet Don Balon reports that Real Madrid’s Ronaldo blamed the defeat on Messi.
Messi started the season in fine form and still has 39 goals to his name so far.
Ronaldo, however, was dreadful at the beginning of the campaign but has since managed to overtake Messi on 40 strikes for the season.
Reports reaching us said that the Real Madrid star thinks Messi is saving himself for the World Cup in June.
Roma have confirmed that club legend and former Italy international, Francesco Totti will retire at the end of the season, 24 years after he made his first appearance for the Giallorossi. The 40-year-old midfielder, who has made more than 600 appearances for the club since his debut in 1993, has made only one start in Serie A this season for the coach Luciano Spalletti having been awarded a one-year extension in 2016.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the club’s new sporting director, Monchi, confirmed that this would be Totti’s last season as a player but hinted that he could work closely with the former Italy international once the World Cup winner hangs up his boots. Monchi said
In terms of Totti, I already knew that there was an agreement with the club that this would be his final year as a player, then he’d start as a director. Francesco is Roma, I want to be as close to him as possible. I’d love to learn even 1% of the huge amount that he knows.
Totti’s final game will be on Sunday 28 May against Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico. He has won two Serie A titles as well as the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa on two occasions each during his 24 years with Roma. Appearing for his country at all levels from under-15, Totti scored nine goals in 58 senior appearances for Italy before his retirement from international football in 2006, after winning the World Cup in Germany.
Photo Credit:
Instagram – @officialtotti10
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