Liverpool

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England interim manager Lee Carsley has named a 26-man squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Greece and Republic of Ireland.

Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall and Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis have received their first call-ups to the senior side, with Saints' Aaron Ramsdale one of three goalkeepers selected.

The only other uncapped player in the squad is Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, while there is no place for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.

These will be Carsley's final two matches in charge before Thomas Tuchel becomes Gareth Southgate's full-time successor from 1 January.

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton).

Defenders: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton).

Midfielders: Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Curtis Jones (Liverpool).

Forwards: Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham).

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I do not think the ongoing speculation on the contracts of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk will upset the title challenge.

It seems late to be negotiating contracts considering their previous length of deals but they do all seem comfortable at the club.

They will not get to the end of the season not knowing what they are going to do. Plus, if Liverpool are in a position to win silverware at the end of this campaign, it will not make much difference about what they decide to do.

They are still here. They do not seem too worried about the future and are just focusing on the present.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Match of the Day's Stephen Warnock explains shows how Arne Slot's half-time rejig in midfield changed the game in Liverpool's 4-0 victory over Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Watch the full Champions League show on BBC iPlayer

Josh Sexton
Fan writer

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Mohamed Salah made himself the hero once again for Liverpool at Anfield this past weekend and in doing so moved himself up to eighth on the Premier League’s all-time top scorers list. It was a trademark strike that served as another reminder of what The Egyptian King can contribute, even in what many are viewing as the twilight of his career.

Whatever the aforementioned 'many' think, eyes and minds are being cast towards those that sign the cheques and contracts at the club with a clear message - Salah must stay.

It is unthinkable to consider the idea that a player with nine goals and seven assists in 15 appearances so far this season is one that can just walk away from the club for free. Not to mention the cautionary tales littered throughout the Premier League in recent times.

Look at Manchester United spending all that money on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, Arsenal throwing the kitchen sink at Kai Havertz and Chelsea hanging their hopes on Nicolas Jackson, all of whom have proven so far that it is hard to just go out and buy goals - without even mentioning Liverpool’s own outlay.

There is obviously more nuance to any contract negotiation than simply suggesting that the club should do "everything" to get a player to stay, but those in charge of making those decisions would do well to convince fans that securing Salah for the next few years would be a bad investment.

Not to mention the fact that the player himself continues to go above and beyond to publicly state his love for Liverpool - on social media, television and to anybody who asks about his change in hairstyle over summer.

No matter what happens, this decision will be another that defines the legacy of the club’s ownership.

I just hope they fall on the right side of history this time.

Find more from Josh Sexton at The Anfield Wrap, external

It was another special Champions League night at Anfield on Tuesday as Liverpool thrashed Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen 4-0.

Luis Diaz scored a second-half hat-trick to help the Reds maintain their flawless start to the competition.

Real Madrid will make a January move for Liverpool's 26-year-old England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is out of contract at the end of the season (Marca - in Spanish), external

However, Liverpool are prepared to block any offers for their first-team players in January. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, the Reds, Arsenal and Tottenham are interested in Eintracht Frankfurt's 20-year-old Sweden midfielder Hugo Larsson. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Mike Hughes
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

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Liverpool continue to take almost all before them with their astonishing start to the new season under Arne Slot.

Fourteen wins from 16 matches in all competitions since he became manager is not only a record-breaking opening run in this country, it is over and above what even the most positive of Reds fans expected.

Top of both the Premier League and the new bizarre format of the Champions League at this stage brings only plaudits. Yet in a few days' time we will hit the final international break of the calendar year, which is always a significant benchmark and sacking season for football managers appears to go into overdrive. More than a quarter of the campaign has elapsed and we have a very decent sample size on which to gauge opinion.

In all the metrics that really count, Liverpool show up well. But even if you decide against crunching the numbers, what you see before your eyes is impressive. This team finds a way to win whatever the circumstances.

For most games so far, they have been able to dictate from the front , building a platform after scoring the crucial first goal. However, in the past two Premier League matches, they have gone behind three times and still shown the hunger and desire to change things around.

On Tuesday, after a counter-punching first half of battle with Bayer Leverkusen they powered past the German champions to a 4-0 victory. That scoreline against this sort of opponents is to be admired, but when you add in that Leverkusen are managed by former Reds midfielder and the person everyone wanted to replace Jurgen Klopp, Xabi Alonso, it adds even more lustre.

I doubt Slot will be getting too carried away, even if he enjoyed the Anfield faithful singing his name at the end of the 90 minutes. What is worth considering though is just how well the new manager has done, in just a few short months.

Saturday evening could prove to be another formidable challenge. Aston Villa, despite that surprise 4-1 defeat at Tottenham, are one of the best sides in the country and have not looked out of place in the Champions League. They have a style and pattern of play that is both easy on the eye and brings results.

Unai Emery has worked miracles at Villa and has put together an excellent squad. Morgan Rogers is a breakout star of season so far and, along with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, has the potential to cause problems for the Liverpool defence.

But this is just the latest challenge for Slot and Liverpool. You get the feeling that this is something he absolutely relishes.

Listen to Total Sport Merseyside from 18:00 on weeknights and find details here of live Liverpool match commentaries on BBC Radio Merseyside

Explore Liverpool content on BBC Sounds

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Captain Virgil van Dijk believes there is still room for improvement from Liverpool, despite the Reds topping both the Premier League and Champions League tables.

Since Arne Slot took charge at the start of the season, Liverpool have won 14 of their 16 games in all competitions.

"We are happy but we want to be happy at the end of the season," Netherlands international Van Dijk told BBC Radio Merseyside after Tuesday's 4-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen.

"That is all about working each day to get better on things that we have to improve because there are still so many things that we could improve. We all know that as players and the manager is very keen to show that too.

"We're still a work in progress, the manager wants us to defend in a certain way, we try to do that and try to solve things on the pitch when we can.

"It doesn't always go perfect as you've seen in so many games, but the good thing is that we make sure we are willing to defend, so when they beat the press we are back to not concede any unnecessary chances or crosses."

Liverpool have conceded only six goals in their 10 Premier League games so far and host fellow Champions League side Aston Villa to Anfield on Saturday.

"There are so many moments and things in games that we are doing well and I think so far, so good in terms of results," Van Dijk added.

"[Being] where we are now and still being able to improve is only a positive thing."

Listen to more reaction from Van Dijk on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on Liverpool's Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen.

Here are some of your comments:

Zak: Wow! I was not expecting that result. It was a rampant second-half where we didn't give them a moment of peace. I can't fault a single player on that pitch. It is clear to see they all did their job and it has paid off massively. Top of the Champions League and top of the Premier League. Arne Slot ball is insane!

Fraser: A big statement from Liverpool. What a performance in the second-half! We defeated a very good Bayer Leverkusen side convincingly and, at long last, a Liverpool player gets a hat-trick. Both Diaz and Gakpo are really cooking this season. The Slot machine keeps going. Real Madrid is next up. I never thought I would say this but bring it on!

Jake: Thoroughly enjoying the evolution of Gakpo and Jones under Arne Slot. I was a doubter last season and I was unsure whether they had futures at Liverpool, as they would often go missing in games and fail to influence. They have been the difference in so many games this season, and their battling and incisive play has driven the team forward.

Tricia: An evenly matched first-half but a superb performance from Liverpool in the second-half. They totally outclassed Leverkusen. Slot is a revelation!

Yusuf: A night of two halves. One that was like an arm wrestle and one that showed a team full of confidence. I feel for Xabi on his return to Anfield, but what a performance against the virtually unbeaten German champions. Hopefully this will show other teams that we are not to be messed about with. Bring on Real Madrid!

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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If any team hopes to bolster their attack in the January or summer transfer window then Sporting Lisbon's number nine Viktor Gyokeres has to be in the conversation.

Following Tuesday's hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League, Gyokeres is the joint leading scorer in this season's most elite European competition with Harry Kane and has scored 66 goals in 67 matches for the reigning Primeira Liga champions.

The sceptics, who have argued the standard of football in Portugal is not that of Premier League, are likely to have been silenced by the striker's performance against the often dubbed 'best team in the world.'

So if the Sweden international is to be snapped up by an English club, where could he go?

Well, Gyokeres is not going to be cheap so it will have to be a club with long-term ambition and deep pockets. The 26-year-old is believed to have a release clause of 100m euros (£83m) despite only signing from Coventry City in 2023 for a fee close to £20m in 2023.

Premier League clubs were linked to Gyokeres while he was at the Championship club but it was Sporting who seized the opportunity to sign him.

And now Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are the English clubs that are linked with his name in the daily gossip pages.

The most obvious choice would be to follow head coach Ruben Amorim to Old Trafford. However, with the club already owning Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Antony it is unlikely they would sign Gyokeres without selling at least one.

Plus, it was Dan Ashworth - the current sporting director of United - that sold Gyokeres to Coventry for just £1m in 2021 from former club Brighton.

United's neighbours Manchester City could view Gyokeres as a long-term replacement for Erling Haaland should he leave the Etihad, and Sporting's director Hugo Viana may want to re-sign his Sporting star when he succeeds the outgoing Txiki Begiristain.

Liverpool could also be in the market if Mohamed Salah does not sign a new contract and departs Anfield after eight years next summer.

Chelsea, who have three strikers, have proven they like to spend big in recent transfer windows but it is their rivals in North London that appear to be the most obvious fit.

Fans and pundits have long said that Arsenal need a number nine.

Mikel Arteta's side would be formidable with a striker like Gyokeres and would be strong contenders in the league and Europe if he could replicate his form there.

"I could see that," columnist Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport. "From the style of play that I have seen from him and the intelligence he has, he is a handful.

"If he comes to England then it is important to note that he is simply coming back because he has already got experience playing here and he knows the physical level required. He comes across as very coachable so in an Arsenal system it could really work for him and them.

"That is on the assumption that he is the sort of player that the Gunners are looking for."

In the meantime Gyokeres will no doubt continue to add to his price tag by doing what he does best - scoring.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer talks first loves, regrets and turning down Sir Kenny Dalglish on the latest episode of the Sacked in the Morning podcast.

Listen on BBC Sounds

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Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has been impressed with how Arne Slot has set his Reds' side up for both the league and Europe.

Tuesday's win over Bayer Leverkusen means Liverpool stay at the top of the new Champions League format standings with a maximum 12 points from four games.

"It has been really impressive how Slot has tactically approached the Premier League and Champions League so far," Warnock told the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "He doesn't allow teams to get a two goal lead so he would rather be cagey in the first-half and grow into the second. That means they can have a bigger effect on the game.

"Slot knows they have the capabilities to run over teams and the quality within the final third to be dangerous. The tweaks in the midfield at half-time always have a huge impacts on games and I have seen him do it a few times now."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal want to sign 32-year-old Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah in time for next summer's Club World Cup. (Mirror), external

Barcelona are also interested in signing Salah when his Liverpool contract runs out at the end of the season. (Sport - in Spanish), external

Meanwhile, Liverpool plan to open talks on a new contract with their 30-year-old Scotland international full-back Andy Robertson this summer. (Football Insider), external

Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation for lost earnings if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching the league's financial rules. (Times - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Arne Slot is making life as Liverpool manager look easy after securing the 14th win of his first 16 games in charge.

Just how far can he take this team this season?

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BBC Radio Merseyside reporter Ian Kennedy reacting to Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen: "At one point we were thinking a draw wouldn’t be the worst result in the world in terms of the format of the competition, but they really did come on strong in that second half.

"Leverkusen were well organised, they were dangerous going forward, but we just didn’t see a lot of that apart from a little spell when the game was 3-0 and Kelleher had to make a couple saves.

"Liverpool were really impressive in that second half. Luis Diaz got the hat-trick, I thought Curtis Jones played really well and also Ryan Gravenberch in midfield.

"Slot didn’t have to make changes at half-time, he kept the same team, whatever he said obviously had the desired effect.

"The first goal was just sublime and it was so important in the context of just how tight the game had been. The through ball from Curtis Jones was just a dream and the finish, the little dink from Diaz, was a thing to behold.

"After the second goal there was not really a way back for Leverkusen, Gakpo getting the header in, and it was a bit of an exhibition after that."

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Liverpool manager Arne Slot, speaking to Amazon Prime: "I don't know if it was that much to do with intensity but we took more risk.

"They overloaded the midfield a lot and we adjusted at half-time and took the risk to play one v one all over. We had better chances in the first half and they weren't a goal threat.

"Curtis Jones did an incredible pass and then you have someone with the pace of Lucho [Luis Diaz] to finish it off. The pass was as good as the goal in my opinion.

"You don't look ahead as a manager at the next three months. You're always one game at a time. We've got Aston Villa on Saturday, another tough game."

On Van Dijk: "Virgil sometimes gets criticised about not stepping into the midfield. Now I would advise these people to watch this game today because he was constantly on the front foot."

On Kelleher future: "That's in the future. Jaros is doing well and we have another goalkeeper as well. What I like about today is we only needed him five minutes from the end.

"We're hard to play through but sometimes they play through the press. I like the work rate of the players."

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Liverpool's hat-trick hero Luis Diaz, speaking to Amazon Prime: "The most important thing is the three points in this edition of the Champions League so we can keep progressing in the competition.

"Things have gone so well with the new manager, it wasn't easy for him to come in and fill Jurgen Klopp's shoes. Hopefully, we'll have something to show for it at the end of the season.

"We have top-quality players all over the pitch and I really enjoyed playing in that position today. I'm just happy to be on the pitch.

"I need to go and find that ball now because I need to keep it somewhere special at home."