Ryan Gravenberch is the latest of an increasing number of Liverpool players being linked with moves away from Anfield after Jurgen Klopp departs

Ryan Gravenberch is the latest of an increasing number of Liverpool players being linked with moves away from Anfield after Jurgen Klopp departs

Liverpool are claimed to have begun “formal talks” over a deal for Porto midfielder Alan Varela, with interest dating back to his time in Argentina.

While the Reds are yet to appoint their next manager, work will be going on behind the scenes when it comes to reshaping the squad for next season.

One such target, it appears, could be Varela, the 22-year-old defensive midfielder who has shone since making the move to Porto last summer.

According to Argentine journalist Luis Fregossi, Liverpool have entered “formal talks” with Porto over a deal that would land the player’s former club, Boca Juniors, a 20 percent payout.

El @LFC inició charlas formales con @FCPorto por Alan Varela. Los RED son el equipo que más cerca está de contratar al ex volante de Boca .
Al xeneize le ingresara el 20 % de la venta que ,seguramente ,se concretará en junio. Más detalles en @mundobocaradio a las 23 x @RBA1350am pic.twitter.com/xdDTVcMDbN

— Luis Fregossi (@LuisFregossi) April 19, 2024

Varela has a release clause in his contract worth €70 million (£60.4m), which would see Boca receive €14 million (£12.1m).

Liverpool are said to be “closest to hiring” Varela, who “already knows what contract he would have” if he were to make the switch to Anfield – which, Fregossi claims, would “surely take place in June.”

It is not the first time Liverpool have been linked with the Argentine, and in fact they have been tracking his progress for years.

Scouts were reported to have been in attendance for a number of Boca Juniors fixtures in 2023, prior to Varela’s €11 million switch to Porto last summer.

Scouts have watched him in Portugal

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They have monitored his performances since, with Portuguese newspaper O Jogo claiming earlier this month that scouts watched Porto’s 2-1 defeat to Vitoria SC.

Liverpool are not alone in their interest, of course, with Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund all linked.

But Fregossi’s updates are certainly intriguing, with a further addition in midfield likely as Thiago prepares to depart at the end of the season.

Varela is a natural No. 6 who is particularly comfortable in possession, with FBref listing him in the 92nd percentile for pass completion among midfielders across the top 15 leagues in football.

Crucially, the Argentina U23 midfielder has a perfect record when it comes to injuries, with his only absence reported by Transfermarkt due to COVID-19 quarantine in 2021, when he missed two games for Boca Juniors.

A new team of sporting director Richard Hughes and assistant David Woodfine are coordinating with Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of Football Michael Edwards and Liverpool’s recruitment staff when it comes to targets this summer.

Many of those will be long-standing, as the club shifts back to a data-led process after conceding power to Jurgen Klopp in recent seasons.

Portugal will be considered a key market, particularly with Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim the front-runner to take over from Klopp – and Varela has now proved himself capable of stepping up.

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Liverpool has been warned about the challenges its new manager will face in trying to match Jürgen Klopp's charismatic presence by former Red Steve McManaman.

Rúben Amorim, the current head coach of Sporting CP, is the current favorite to replace Klopp in the summer. Xabi Alonso had been the previous frontrunner, only to rule himself out last month.

Amorim, 39, has achieved remarkable success in Lisbon and looks set to secure a second Portuguese title with Sporting. However, while McManaman acknowledges Amorim's impressive track record, he worries that Klopp's unique personality and charm will be difficult for anyone to replicate.

READ MORE: Zinedine Zidane 'prefers' Premier League job as Man Utd wants $49m star who turned down Liverpool

READ MORE: Liverpool could make five changes vs Fulham amid Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold calls

Speaking at the launch of Panini's Official England Sticker Collection, McManaman told the Mirror: "He's got a very good reputation in Portugal. He delivered the title to Sporting and they're fighting for it again this year. Sporting is a huge club, but Liverpool are a different level."

"We all know it's going to be a difficult job for whoever comes in but the number-crunchers, the data specialists, they'll be doing their homework behind the scenes."

He added: "Liverpool are in a really great place. I think practically everybody other than Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and Virgil [van Dijk] are locked down. I don't necessarily think the hard part will be the team; that's going to be around for a while. It's everything else: [replacing] the charisma of Jürgen, his sense of humor, how he got the people of Liverpool, that's going to be the hard job.

"I know Rúben speaks very good English, which is a great help straight away. But everything else, the whole package to emulate Jürgen, is very difficult for anyone I think."

The Reds are gearing up for a future without Klopp by welcoming Michael Edwards back into the fold. The ex-sporting director, who was pivotal in the club's triumphs under Klopp, has returned with an expanded role as Fenway Sports Group's chief executive of football.

McManaman believes that Edwards' return and FSG's strategy, including their goal to establish a multi-club ownership model, are key to maintaining the winning culture established by Klopp.

On FSG's strategy, he further commented: "That's important because as we all know, it's all about how the club move forward. Mikel Arteta will eventually leave Arsenal, Pep will eventually leave City. These clubs will know it way in advance and then it's all about the process of bringing that new manager in."

"I think the fact that Liverpool have brought Michael [Edwards] back is great. They're talking about buying other football teams as well and having a football model type. So it's very exciting times, even if it will be a difficult process."

Liverpool.com says: It will of course be difficult to replace Klopp, given the impact he's had at Liverpool. As the club enters a new era though, that shouldn't put any prospective manager off.

Amorim has shown what effect he can have, having ended Sporting's long wait for a title, and he's on course to add a second this season. He is probably the standout candidate now that Alonso has ruled himself out, and hopefully Liverpool can get its man.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Mirror by clicking here.

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Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold insists the squad plan to “throw everything” at their final six matches of the season as they try to finish Jurgen Klopp‘s final season on a high.

Only a month ago the talk was still of an unprecedented quadruple with the Carabao Cup already in the trophy cabinet but FA Cup and Europa League exits, plus a slip-up in the league, has left them with just one focus.

The task of overhauling Manchester City‘s two-point advantage, and also getting ahead of Arsenal, is not an inconsiderable one but Alexander-Arnold said in the aftermath of their Europa League exit to Atalanta despite a 1-0 victory in Bergamo that the players had spoken about what remained of their campaign.

“After the game we spoke quite positively about the rest of the season. We’ve got a month left and we need to give it everything,” said the England international.

“That’s what we are going to do, we are going to throw everything at it and try to do all that we can.

“We know it’s not in our hands any more but we need to be as good as possible and just be in the best position that we can to capitalise if teams do slip up.”

Against Atalanta Alexander-Arnold made his first start since mid-February following a knee injury and in the first half in particular looked like he had never been away, dictating play after being given licence to roam from his nominal right-back position.

The team faded in the second half and the 25-year-old was withdrawn after 72 minutes but he will have a key part to play in the last six matches.

• READ: Klopp: ‘Alexander-Arnold and Jota give us a chance for the title’

“I think I just ran out of juice in the second half but in the first half I was enjoying my football, finding passes, playing the game I love,” he told the club’s official website.

“I think you can tell by the way I played it was special for me to be back out there and help the team win the game.”

Liverpool head to Fulham on Sunday with the chance to overtake City, who play in the FA Cup semi-final, before a Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park in midweek and then a trip to West Ham.

“We have got a huge game that we need to go and win,” added Alexander-Arnold.

“We have got a very difficult week ahead of us, three away games that we need to win and get results in and that’s our aim now.”

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Liverpool will attempt to pick itself up this weekend and go again in the Premier League following the quarter-final exit to Atalanta in the Europa League. It was always going to be a tall order in Bergamo considering the result from the first leg, and many thought Liverpool could do it after Mohamed Salah scored an early penalty at the Gewiss Stadium.

But Liverpool couldn't repeat one of its famous European nights in which it defied the odds to win. Atalanta stayed strong and nullified the Reds all over the pitch. The expected onslaught never arrived, and so the club was eliminated from another competition, ending Jürgen Klopp's chance to win the one trophy at the club that's eluded him during the last nine years.

Now the focus will sharply turn to Fulham on Sunday, and a chance to get back on winning terms after the loss to Crystal Palace last weekend. With Manchester City and Arsenal also out of Europe this week, all three of the title contenders will now focus firmly on the league without European distractions.

READ MORE: Liverpool could make five changes vs Fulham amid Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold calls

READ MORE: Liverpool injury latest and return dates before Fulham as Jürgen Klopp missing four players

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the Premier League and across the continent to see what's going on at Liverpool's rivals, including Manchester United being linked to a French defender and a former Real Madrid manager being linked to Bayern Munich.

Manchester United wants Jean-Clair Todibo

Manchester United is being linked with a summer move for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo. Todibo has resurrected his career after his move to Barcelona in 2019 failed.

Since moving back to Ligue 1 in 2021, Todibo has caught the eye of many with his performances, including Liverpool. According to his agent, the Reds tried to sign him back in 2019, only for the player to choose Barcelona (via Tuttomercatoweb).

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The Mirror reports that United want to sign the Frenchman this summer, and given their links to Nice via new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who also owns the club, a deal is very much possible. The report claims that Nice would demand in the region of $49m (£40m/€46m) for the 24-year-old.

Liverpool.com says: Due to his performances for Nice, Todibo is going to be a defender in demand this summer. With plenty of years left in his career, he should be a player for Liverpool to take a keen interest in, even more so with Joël Matip likely to leave this summer.

Zinedine Zidane prefers Manchester United to Bayern Munich

French legend Zinedine Zidane has been linked with taking over from Thomas Tuchel in recent days, and a report broke that Zidane was close to becoming the new Bayern boss ahead of next season (via Mundo Deportivo).

However, French newspaper L'Equipe states that in fact this isn't the truth, and that Zidane prefers a move to England and Manchester United than a move to Bayern.

The French outlet states that while Zidane has respect for Bayern as a club, he has question marks over his ability to adapt to the Bavarian lifestyle and the German language. While the former Juventus and Real Madrid icon doesn't speak English, it's believed that he has a better grasp of English than German, and this is the reason why he's preferring a move to England than Germany.

Erik ten Hag could be given his marching orders at the end of the season after what has been a disappointing campaign for United.

Liverpool.com says: It would be interesting to see how Zidane would perform in the Premier League, especially considering his only success has been at Real Madrid where he inherited a team full of world class players. He would certainly have his work cut out for him at United.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota gives their title hopes a much-needed boost.

Defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend saw Klopp’s side drop to third as Manchester City moved into a two-point lead at the top of the table.

But with results faltering, the performance by Alexander-Arnold in the Europa League win over Atalanta, particularly in the first half, has offered renewed hope.

The defender was making his first start since mid-February after a knee injury and, while Jota has yet to have the same impact in three relatively short substitute appearances after a similar two-month lay-off, the clinical nature of his game could offset some of the deficiencies currently being experienced by his fellow forwards.

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“We need Trent Alexander-Arnold, of course, but we need him in a really good shape and form and that’s what he has to get up to,” said Klopp ahead of the trip to Fulham.

“It’s not about him and it’s not his fault if he wouldn’t be, it’s just the situation. So how quick can we get him rolling if you want – the same for Diogo.

“We have to find a way to help the boys in the best way, to bring them as quick as possible into their best form or shape and from there we have to go.

“Without them we wouldn’t have a chance. With them we have a chance, with them in a really good football moment the chance gets bigger and bigger.”

“We can make it still an outstanding season”

Klopp remains positive about their chances despite recent failures and feels six wins could see them snatch the title from the grasp of their rivals.

Although a Europa League exit on aggregate was disappointing there were positives to take from the game.

Alexander-Arnold’s display, drifting infield to dictate play and even popping up in the centre-forward’s position on occasions in Bergamo, was one and a first clean sheet in 10 matches was another.

With struggles up front continuing – Liverpool have scored only two goals in the opening 15 minutes in a league game this season – a more solid backline offers a better platform and that is why Klopp is optimistic.

“I don’t have a lot of qualities but I am always completely honest. If I don’t feel great the players feel it pretty quickly,” he said.

“I cannot really deny or just keep it under the carpet so that means after the game against Palace people ask ‘what do you tell the team now?’.

“But here we are a few days later and I feel absolutely great, I see the good in the situation where we are. It is fantastic.

“The boys know that I don’t tell them things which I don’t believe in and I am 100 percent sure we can really win all of the games we will have to from now on.

“What should influence us more: the last game, the last week or is it the chance in front of us?

“I am fully [of the opinion] that there is a next chance for us and we can turn things absolutely around in all departments. We can make it still an outstanding season.

“It will be a good season but of course how you look at it is in the end is massively influenced by the last part of it.”

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Liverpool faces a pivotal week in what remains of Jürgen Klopp’s final season in charge. With just one trophy to target now, the Reds cannot afford to drop any more points in the Premier League.

They face three away games in a week, starting with the trip to Fulham tomorrow. After that, it’s back to Merseyside for the derby at Everton, before returning to London next weekend to take on West Ham.

Having had their Europa League hopes dashed by Atalanta, the league is the only remaining hope Liverpool has of adding to the Carabao Cup this season. With just six games left now, Klopp will have some important decisions to make with his side.

READ MORE: Liverpool injury latest and return dates before Fulham as Jürgen Klopp missing four players

READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp already hinted at plans after Liverpool as new contract just made future clearer

The Reds boss has a near full-strength squad to choose from for tomorrow’s trip to Fulham, with just four players missing. Having gone with a strong side in Italy on Thursday, it will be interesting to see how many changes, if any, he makes to his side tomorrow.

Having been withdrawn in the second half in Bergamo, Trent Alexander-Arnold should be okay to start again. His minutes may have to be managed closely over the next seven days though, given he has only just returned from injury, so Joe Gomez could come into consideration.

The same could be said for Ibrahima Konaté. Given his record, it might be worth resting the French international for the derby, so Jarell Quansah could be in line to return to partner Virgil van Dijk.

Midfield poses a few questions for Klopp. Alexis Mac Allister could perhaps do with being given a rest at some stage over the next seven days, although the Argentine has been one of Liverpool’s in-form players.

Dominik Szoboszlai, meanwhile, has struggled a little for rhythm. Wataru Endō, Ryan Gravenberch and Harvey Elliott could therefore be considered.

A misfiring front three has also given Klopp something of a headache. It’s now five games without a goal from open play, highlighting just how profligate Liverpool has been recently.

Klopp is clearly still managing Mohamed Salah’s minutes since his return from injury, and given the Egyptian has yet to rediscover his form, he could be in the rare position of being handed a rest tomorrow. Cody Gakpo has improved of late, so he could retain his place from midweek, which could perhaps leave Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota to battle it out for a place alongside the Dutchman and Luis Díaz.

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Liverpool head into the final six games of the Premier League campaign two points behind league leaders Manchester City

Liverpool head into the final six games of the Premier League campaign two points behind league leaders Manchester City

Being a pivotal part of a side competing at the very top doesn’t have to involve being a permanent fixture in the starting lineup every week, just ask Harvey Elliott.

Injuries and the general strains of another relentless campaign across the competitions has seen Jurgen Klopp turn to a total of 35 players to get himself and his players to the business end.

One man who sits towards the top of the list as far as 2023/24 appearances are concerned is Elliott, but his impact has largely been restricted to being called upon from the substitutes bench.

Only Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez have pulled on the red shirt more times so far this season, but just 22 of the 21-year-old’s 47 outings to date have come from the start.

Yet, there isn’t a Liverpool supporter with a working set of eyes who would try to argue that Elliott hasn’t been one of the most significant contributors to the side’s somewhat surprising return to the top end ahead of the schedule many had pictured.

Diamond in the rough

It oughtn’t come as a shock that the manager has placed immense trust in the player his assistant, Pepijn Lijnders, once described as the Reds’ “little diamond.”

Elliott also featured 46 times during the rollercoaster that was season 2022/23, bouncing back admirably from the injury that blighted his hopes of a similar role during the previous season’s quadruple assault.

He forged himself a regular starting spot at the tender age of 18 before his career-threatening setback at Elland Road in September 2021, but he had time on his side and his unwavering spirit ensured it would not define him.

Now, we’re looking at a player who has produced as consistently as any other player at Klopp’s disposal this season, a player who has refused to let his relative lack of starting minutes affect him negatively in any way.

If you took any fan from a matchday crowd and handed them Elliott’s role in the side, that person would cherish every second on the pitch and give their heart and soul for the opportunity.

You sense that is exactly how Liverpool’s No. 19 is treating the situation. He is, after all, a boyhood fan and is living the dream of all of us, all while demonstrating the exact blend of passion and quality we crave from every senior player.

He plays like a fan would with his ability, what more could we truly ask for?

A fan in a player’s body

There isn’t a hint of ego despite his unquestionable talent, and one would imagine he is acutely aware that, at 21, there is still plenty of time to carve out the exact role he wants.

It is easy to forget just how young 21 is, particularly when that player has already surpassed a century of appearance for the team he grew up following.

During a season in which the youngsters around him have been asked to step up in situations they never dreamed of finding themselves in, Elliott has often looked like one of the experienced heads, which is obscene to even think about.

Somehow his qualities were brought into question this time 12 months ago, and although our memories as football fans can often be short, it is something that cannot be denied.

His physical attributes are the only lingering doubt remaining among the Liverpool faithful, but so far he has more than accounted for it with his sheer commitment to the cause and relentless volume of work.

While those who wrote him off despite his age and the mitigation that stemmed from his misfortune at Leeds, there is still one man he will be desperate to continue to capture the attention of between now and the finish line.

Liverpool put themselves firmly behind the eight ball as far as their treble ambitions were concerned when they fell to defeat at Anfield twice in four days, failing to register a goal in 180 of perhaps the most agonising minutes we have witnessed so far in this campaign.

Atalanta was Elliott’s first start in six since the humdinger against Man City a month earlier, but he was once again forced to watch the opening 82 minutes from the substitutes bench as the Reds handed the title race initiative to Arsenal (who later passed it on to Man City) with defeat at home to Crystal Palace.

What next?

Klopp has typically been a manager who rewards those who step up when required, at what point can Elliott expect that privilege to be extended to him with a greater role, and would that actually be of benefit to him?

One might argue that 2,337 minutes is a perfectly sufficient return given what the midfielder has been through with his fitness and the fact he is still very much in the infancy of his career.

While a relative lack of physicality is something that continues to be levelled at him, others had previously raised questions about whether he has a natural position in Klopp’s 4-3-3 system.

A new manager will undoubtedly bring fresh ideas, and he may also opt to play with a formation that better fits Elliott’s capabilities.

His impact off the bench has been unquestionable, but that has simultaneously fed into the notion that this might be the most effective way of utilising Elliott at this point in time.

The boss insisted back in February that his status as a super-sub won’t stick with him forever, but his ability to change games and give a new dimension to the midfield make him an ideal option when Liverpool need something a little different.

Footballers of Elliott’s quality want to start games, and his performances have almost certainly warranted more minutes than the eight he was handed against Crystal Palace (plus the frankly laughable seven minutes added on by the fourth official).

Whether that translates to more starts in the new era of the football club that will begin next season remains to be seen, but stiff competition and his own brilliance off the bench will be a factor in determining the part he will play under the new manager, whoever that may be.

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Ruben Amorim has been linked with succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager

Ruben Amorim has been linked with succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager

John Arne Riise has spoken out on the time his former Liverpool team-mate Craig Bellamy drunkenly attacked him with a golf club

John Arne Riise has spoken out on the time his former Liverpool team-mate Craig Bellamy drunkenly attacked him with a golf club

There are many facets of a football team’s tactical identity, but perhaps the most instructive element is also the most basic part of football strategy — how is a side trying to get the ball into a dangerous position to score a goal?

Imagine a particular team’s attacking style and you’re often visualising how they get the ball into the box. But between which players are the crucial passes made?

Here, we have depicted each Premier League club’s most common passing combination into the opposition penalty area. You might expect some kind of general pattern or uniform approach, but the striking thing is how many different styles there are.

The most surprising revelation from the data is that at six of the 20 Premier League clubs, the most common combination to get the ball into the box involves a full-back (or wing-back, or wide centre-back) receiving possession. Players in those positions are useful attacking tools in the modern game, certainly, but you imagine them receiving the ball on the outside of the penalty box and in deeper positions rather than in the box itself.

For Fulham, it’s Willian slipping in Antonee Robinson down the left flank and the direction of the passes implies underlapping rather than overlapping runs from the left-back. A good example came when Willian fed Robinson to assist Alex Iwobi’s opener against Wolves.

At Crystal Palace, it’s Eberechi Eze supplying Tyrick Mitchell, while Brentford’s is slightly different: it’s Bryan Mbeumo slipping in Kristoffer Ajer, who has played at right-back in a four-man defence but also as a right-sided centre-back in a three.

Sheffield United and Wolves do something similar down the right flank, albeit the recipients are wing-backs rather than full-backs: Gustavo Hamer plays in Jayden Bogle and Pablo Sarabia finds Nelson Semedo.

The most unexpected case is Manchester City, whose most frequent box-entering combinations don’t involve Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, or the admittedly injury-troubled Kevin De Bruyne. It’s a holding midfielder finding a right-back. Rodri is more than a holding midfielder and Kyle Walker has tended to push forward on the overlap more often over the past 18 months, now City usually play with a solid left-back rather than an attacking one.

But this is City’s most common way of getting into the penalty box. A good example is Rodri’s diagonal ball for Walker’s run in behind, who volleys back for Phil Foden to score, in a 2-0 home win over Nottingham Forest. This move actually goes back to Pep Guardiola’s early days — his Barcelona side loved playing switches like this for Dani Alves.

A full-back as the passer – Newcastle

A defender only features once in terms of playing the passes. That’s at Newcastle where, until his recent struggles in a defensive sense, Kieran Trippier’s relationship with Miguel Almiron constituted one of the best wide partnerships in the league.

Trippier is capable of overlapping and swinging in crosses, but he’s underrated in terms of more refined creativity, often taking on a role comparable to that of Trent Alexander-Arnold with clever passes into the channel. Here’s a simpler example — him playing in Almiron against Manchester United. The Paraguayan cut inside but his shot was blocked.

A playmaker seeking out a winger – Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest

The extent to which Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka’s combination play leads the way is quite staggering. Odegaard has played the ball into the box for Saka 37 times and the reverse has happened 19 times. These are the top two combinations in the whole Premier League.

It’s the Odegaard to Saka ball, though, that dominates. This is unsurprising given their respective skill sets — Odegaard is brilliant at playing cute balls in behind the opposition defence and his left-footedness works well for curling the ball nicely for Saka’s run inside from the flank.

Equally, Saka is probably the best player in the Premier League at receiving on the half-turn and letting the ball come across his body. That skill is precisely why these numbers are so high. In situations where other players would control the ball, Saka doesn’t actually touch it until several yards into his run, meaning the pass is recorded as ending inside the box. Take, for example, Odegaard’s ball to Saka for his second goal in a 6-0 win at West Ham.

Manchester United’s approach play is similar, albeit Bruno Fernandes starts from a more central position and Alejandro Garnacho usually receives it wider.

Garnacho’s potential is partly the reason Manchester United allowed Anthony Elanga to move to Nottingham Forest and he features in a similar combination, with Morgan Gibbs-White effectively playing the Fernandes role. It’s also interesting, meanwhile, that Elanga has assisted five goals for Chris Wood this season, the joint-most in the Premier League. These two statistics demonstrate Forest’s favoured play in the final third.

Chelsea are also in this category, with Cole Palmer’s balls into Raheem Sterling. The pattern here is mixed — Palmer has played from the right but also as a No 10 and Sterling pops up on both flanks.

A playmaker playing it into a centre-forward – Tottenham, West Ham, Brighton, Luton

Here’s an idea — a team’s most creative player should get the ball into the team’s most dangerous forward as often as possible. Sounds simple, eh?

So that’s the case at Brighton (Pascal Gross to Joao Pedro), Tottenham (James Maddison to Son Heung-min), West Ham (Lucas Paqueta to Jarrod Bowen) and Luton (Ross Barkley to Elijah Adebayo). Maddison tends to find Son in the pockets, while Barkley’s passes to Adebayo are few and far between but relatively varied. Gross and Paqueta’s passes are similar, although Gross’ tend to be from closer to the box and over a shorter distance, while Paqueta’s are flighty balls played from deeper and often ending up close to goal — like his lovely assist for Bowen’s headed opener from inside the six-yard box at Luton.

A winger crossing for a centre-forward – Liverpool, Bournemouth

At the start of last season, Jurgen Klopp was criticised for changing his tactics and getting Mohamed Salah to provide the supply line to Darwin Nunez rather than finishing off moves himself. That was a bit of an exaggeration — Salah wasn’t purely asked to be a provider.

But the Salah-to-Nunez route is the most common way Liverpool enter the box. Interestingly, very few of those deliveries are traditional crosses — they’re balls into feet or in behind. The best example came for Nunez’s winner at Newcastle, finishing with one touch from Salah’s through-ball.

Bournemouth’s route into the box is similar. Marcus Tavernier finds Dominic Solanke in a variety of positions in the box but always from wide-ish zones.

A front two combining – Aston Villa

Villa’s way into the box is unique. Moussa Diaby has played off Ollie Watkins for much of the season — sometimes in a support striker role, sometimes as a No 10, sometimes from more of a right-sided position, where he crossed for Watkins’ late headed equaliser at Bournemouth, below. But in general, the passes are usually much shorter and neater.

Not enough data to really judge – Burnley

Sorry! Burnley’s numbers are so low that it’s just not worthy of discussion. Vitinho has played the ball from outside the box into Jacob Bruun Larsen inside the box a total of four times all season, with no obvious pattern to the passes.

Set pieces – Everton

My word. We’ve actually had to expand the half-pitch graphic to a full-pitch version to accommodate Dycheball.

GO DEEPER

Introducing the Dyche Zone: Why the Everton manager is right to favour deep free kicks

There are some mitigating circumstances here — Dominic Calvert-Lewin has spent long periods out injured and he would usually represent Everton’s primary route into the area. But Everton’s most common method of getting into the box is simple. When they win a free kick close to the halfway line, Jordan Pickford hammers the ball downfield and centre-back James Tarkowski, familiar with Sean Dyche’s methods from their time together at Burnley, tries to win the first ball.

It sometimes causes opponents problems, usually with the second ball, but it’s absurdly basic for a Premier League club’s main route into the box in 2024.

And, really, that’s the beauty of all this. It’s often suggested that Premier League football has become increasingly samey, with teams trying to play identically. These combinations, though, demonstrate the huge variety across the division.

(Top photos: Getty Images)

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This is the most instructive element of any football team — the way they get the ball into the box

This week's Blood Red column on the growing framework Fenway Sports Group are putting in place at Liverpool before their biggest decision in years is made in replacing Jurgen Klopp

This week's Blood Red column on the growing framework Fenway Sports Group are putting in place at Liverpool before their biggest decision in years is made in replacing Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool's Europa League exit has had a big knock-on effect for the Premier League's Champions League qualification race