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Liverpool’s quest for a quadruple is set to continue this Wednesday as they face Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Anfield.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions. They will head into the Champions League clash with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Everton in the Premier League on 24 April.
Today's roundup features some transfer talk on Aurelien Tchouameni and some tidbits from Jurgen Klopp. Without further ado, let's take a look at the latest stories featuring the Reds as of April 26, 2022.
Firmino ruled out of the Villarreal tie
Klopp has confirmed that forward Roberto Firmino will miss the clash against Villarreal on Wednesday.
Firmino has missed the last two games due to a foot injury that he picked up against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on 16 April.
Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:
"I don't think [he is ready] yet. He is running outside and that's good, obviously, but I am not sure. Maybe somebody will surprise me afterwards and tell me, 'Yes, Bobby is in.' [I will have] open arms, but I don't think so. Apart from that, no [new injuries] that I know yet.”
The Reds haven’t missed Firmino as the likes of Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane and Divock Origi have been used as strikers and they have done well.
Liverpool make contact to sign Aurelien Tchouameni
The Merseyside outfit have made initial contact to sign Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco as per Foot Mercato reporter Santi Aouna. Klopp is a big fan of the player, so a move for the £42million-rated midfielder could be around the corner.
The Frenchman is attracting interest from Manchester United as well. Real Madrid, meanwhile, have reportedly dropped interest as they want to develop Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga.
Liverpool do not have a shortage of midfield options, but considering a few of them are in their 30s, it would be a wise move to plan ahead.
Tchouameni has impressed in the French top-flight this season for Monaco and has been a key cog in the side. He has made 32 appearances so far in Ligue 1 this season, scoring one goal and assisting one.
Klopp says his side will not repeat the mistakes of Juventus and Bayern Munich
Villarreal have undoubtedly been the dark horse in the Champions League so far this season. They knocked out Juventus and Bayern Munich on their way to the semi-finals.
Liverpool will have home advantage in the first leg against the Spanish side this Wednesday, and Klopp explained that they will not take Villarreal lightly. He said (via Mirror):
"Perhaps Juve and Bayern underestimated them, but that will not happen to us. Especially after those four games, it cannot happen, so Villarreal has lost this small advantage. But they are still a very, very good football team that wants to continue making history. Reaching the final would be huge for them, I can imagine. But for us it is also important, we want to go all out.”
