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Chelsea star Pedro Neto has penned a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota, and has vowed he will try to win the Club World Cup for his former teammate on the eve of the final.

Tributes continue to flood in for Jota and his brother Andre Silva after they died in a car accident in Spain. Liverpool’s players accompanied Jota’s wife Rute and his family as they laid flowers at Anfield on Friday, having also been present at the funeral in Portugal last weekend.

The Reds are set to play their first game since the brothers’ deaths tomorrow, with more tributes planned ahead of kick-off against Preston.

Chelsea will also be in action on Sunday as it faces Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup, with Jota set to be in Neto’s memory as he aims to help the Blues to become world champions.

The pair were of course teammates at Wolves and with Portugal, with Neto paying tribute to Jota and his brother before Chelsea’s quarter-final against Palmeiras.

Ahead of the final, Neto has written a touching tribute to Jota as he looked back over his memories with Liverpool’s No.20.

“When I step onto the pitch on Sunday, know that I want to win this competition for Diogo Jota,” Neto wrote on Chelsea’s club website.

Pedro Neto paid tribute to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva before Chelsea's quarter-final at the Club World Cup

“He will always be with me. He will always be remembered. My thoughts are still with him, his brother Andre Silva, and their families. It’s such a difficult moment.

“Diogo immediately stood out to me when I came to England. I was very young and arriving in a new country, and he was one of the key players at Wolves. But he helped me and my family a lot, and I learned so much from him about life and football.

“Diogo was part of our group of Portuguese players – there were quite a lot of us! Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Vinagre, Rui Patricio, myself, and Diogo. We were so close and spent a lot of time together off the pitch.

“We are still in contact now and these guys, and the memories I have, will stay with me for the rest of my life. It’s why it’s so tough to now be without Diogo.”

Pedro Neto was a teammate of Diogo Jota's for Wolves and Portugal

Neto added: “He was a warrior, a guy who would always be ready to fight for you. Yet he had this big smile and his laugh…it is one of the things that I will always remember.

“When I heard the news, I spoke with the coach and everyone was very supportive. We had the game against Palmeiras and it didn’t make sense for me not to play.

“With the personality Diogo had – something else that will always stay with me – I think he would’ve wanted us to play.

“I have this feeling that Diogo is still protecting everyone who was close to him. It’s why I want to be a warrior for him. Sunday is no different.

Liverpool's players and staff accompanied Diogo Jota's wife Rute and his family to Anfield on Friday (Image: Getty Images)

“It will be my second final with Chelsea, and we can be crowned world champions. That is the focus. I want to win. I want to win it for Diogo.”

Ahead of its first game since Jota’s death, Liverpool has confirmed it will be retiring his number 20 jersey across all levels of the club, having consulted with his wife and family.

"By retiring this squad number, we are making it eternal — and therefore never to be forgotten,” FSG CEO of Football Michael Edwards said. “Diogo joined us in 2020, he won us number 20, and he wore — with honour, distinction and affection — the number 20.

"As far as Liverpool Football Club is concerned, he will be forever our number 20."

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In a deeply moving gesture, Liverpool FC have retired the number 20 shirt across all levels of the club in honour of Diogo Jota, marking the first time in the club’s history that a squad number has been permanently withdrawn.

The decision, announced officially at 8:20pm on Friday (20:20 in tribute to Jota’s shirt number), reflects what the club described as his “immeasurable contribution” to Liverpool, as well as “the profound personal impact he had on his teammates, colleagues and supporters and the everlasting connections he built with them.”

The club made clear that Jota’s family, particularly his wife Rute, were central to the discussions behind the decision. As Michael Edwards stated via LFC, “It was vitally important to us to involve Diogo’s wife, Rute, and his family in the decision and to ensure they were the first to know of our intention.”

Photo IMAGO Unique Tribute for a Unique Person

Michael Edwards, now CEO of Football at FSG and the man who originally brought Jota to Anfield in 2020, reflected on the depth of the tribute. “I believe this is the first time in Liverpool Football Club’s history that such an honour has been bestowed upon an individual. Therefore, we can say this is a unique tribute to a uniquely wonderful person. By retiring this squad number, we are making it eternal – and therefore never to be forgotten.”

“Diogo joined us in 2020, he won us number 20, and he wore – with honour, distinction and affection – the number 20. As far as Liverpool Football Club is concerned, he will be forever our number 20.”

Billy Hogan, John Henry, Tom Werner and Mike Gordon added, “The fact that in the long and storied history of our club this honour has never previously been bestowed shows the significance of Diogo to Liverpool Football Club.”

Deep Impact Beyond Football

Diogo Jota’s legacy stretches far beyond statistics and silverware. In his final season, he was a pivotal part of Liverpool’s record-equalling 20th league title win. But the outpouring of tributes since his tragic passing, alongside his brother André Silva, has demonstrated the personal impact he had across the club and the footballing world.

Photo by IMAGO

The thousands of messages, the global re-enactments of his celebration, and the emergence of a memorial mural in Merseyside speak volumes. They reveal how a player known for his humility and sharp instincts on the pitch came to represent something deeper to Liverpool fans: an embodiment of hard work, decency, and pride in wearing the shirt.

Final Farewell at Preston

This weekend’s friendly against Preston at Deepdale will be Liverpool’s first match since Jota’s death, and it promises to be an emotional afternoon. There will be further tributes, but the most enduring may already have been made. By retiring his shirt number, Liverpool have etched Diogo Jota into the club’s identity forever.

No future player will wear number 20 again at Liverpool, not in the men’s, women’s, or youth teams. That shirt now belongs to Jota alone, and always will.

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Liverpool Honour Diogo Jota with First-Ever Shirt Retirement In a deeply moving gesture, Liverpool FC have retired the number 20 shirt across all levels of the club in honour of Diogo Jota, marking the first time in the club’s history that a squad number has been permanently withdrawn. The decision, announced officially at 8:20pm on […]

The post Michael Edwards Pays Tribute to Jota with Permanent Number 20 Retirement appeared first on anfieldindex.com.

Liverpool fans will no doubt be fed up of hearing about Real Madrid’s interest in their players - so rumors involving Alexis Mac Allister re-emerging certainly won’t be welcome.

Already this summer, the Reds have seen Trent Alexander-Arnold make the move to the Bernabeu after running down his contract at Anfield, and there’s every chance they could be in the exact same position next year. Ibrahima Konate is being linked with a move to Madrid, with fears growing as talks over a new contract on Merseyside don’t appear to be going to plan.

It is of course a by-product of Liverpool’s success that the world’s biggest club comes after its players, although the manner in which Real goes about its business is more than a little infuriating for supporters, and hearing of another player being targeted will add to the frustration.

Mac Allister though once again finds himself the subject of speculation surrounding a move to Madrid. Having said that, the reports from Spain don’t come from the most reliable of sources, so there shouldn’t be too much to worry about from a Liverpool perspective right now.

What might be a little concerning though is the frequency with which the Argentine is linked with a move to the Bernabeu. This isn’t the first time over the last 12 months, and no doubt it won’t be the last going forward.

Unsurprisingly then, the subject has already been put to Mac Allister, who has done his best to bat the speculation away.

Alexis Mac Allister has batted away previous rumors of a move to Real Madrid (Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"I read the rumors and the news reaches me, but the important thing is the present," he told TyC Sports back in April. "No matter how much the club loves me, if I play poorly this weekend, they’ll lose interest.

"I’m fine at Liverpool and I don’t have any need," Mac Allister continued. "I have a lot of respect for the club, and I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about other clubs."

It’s not just the 26-year-old that has been asked about a move to the Spanish capital, with his father also broaching the subject earlier this year.

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"For now, I don't think so. Time will tell," he said. "Alexis is very happy where he is. He lives in Manchester, and on the block where he lives is (Andy) Robertson, (Joe) Gomez, and four blocks away is Licha Martinez (Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United).

"Alexis speaks English well, understands the rules of the game, and converses with people. I think it's been the best thing he's had, and that's why the adaptation was easier."

In any case, Liverpool fans should be able to rest easy this summer, with Spanish outlet Cope claiming Los Blancos won’t make a move for the time being, with the club not willing to pay what would be a hefty price tag.

No doubt those rumors will continue to follow Mac Allister for some time though. The good news is, he is under contract for another three years.

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Liverpool begin their pre-season with a trip to Preston on Sunday for the Reds’ first match since the passing of Diogo Jota.

Preston vs. Liverpool

Friendly (1) | Deepdale
July 13, 2025 | 3pm (BST)

An unfathomably sad period in Reds history has unfolded over the past week, following the tragic death of Jota.

It’s now a case of Liverpool trying to move on in the most respectable manner possible, starting with Sunday’s trip to Preston.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of the first friendly of the summer.

1. Tributes for Diogo Jota

It will be an emotional visit to Deepdale and plans have been announced to honour the lives of Jota and his brother Andre ahead of kickoff.

Preston have requested all supporters to be in their seats by 2.45pm as singer Claudia Rose Maguire will perform renditions of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and Liverpool anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

Representatives of Liverpool and Preston – likely including captain Virgil van Dijk – will lay wreaths in front of the away end, known as the Bill Shankly Kop.

Deepdale will observe a minute’s silence before kickoff while tributes will be displayed on the big screen and pitchside LEDs and players on both sides will wear black armbands.

Preston have also produced a free special edition of their matchday programme in tribute to Diogo and Andre, with further tributes expected in the stands throughout the afternoon.

2. New signings and who could feature

Seeing new signings is usually one of the highlights of pre-season, and there could be as many as five fresh faces on show for Liverpool at Deepdale.

Florian Wirtz is the star attraction, following his move to Anfield for a British transfer record fee of £116 million.

The German isn’t the only new addition, though, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez also joining this summer.

For Frimpong, it is a chance to show that he is a well-suited, right-sided option, while Kerkez will be looking to prove that he is now a superior option to Andy Robertson.

Meanwhile, Freddie Woodman has joined Liverpool from Preston, meaning the goalkeeper could potentially come up against his former club.

Possible squad members:

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Pecsi

Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Bradley, Frimpong, Kerkez, Robertson, Tsimikas, Beck, Nallo

Midfielders: Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones, Endo, Elliott*, Morton*, McConnell, Nyoni

Forwards: Salah, Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz, Chiesa, Doak, Danns

* Doubtful

3. Final game for some players?

There has been speculation around certain Liverpool players leaving this summer, joining Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher and Jarell Quansah out of the exit door.

Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez spring to mind first – the South American pair have been linked with moves to Bayern Munich and Napoli, respectively.

At this point, it would be a surprise if both players were still at Liverpool come the start of the season, and this could even be one of their final games for the club if fit to feature.

Federico Chiesa‘s future is also in doubt, as is James McConnell‘s, but both will be wanting to show Slot that they are worth sticking with.

Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton are linked with exits and they are both back with the squad after winning the European Under-21 Championships with England.

4. Youngsters looking to shine

Slot has big decisions to make with several players this summer, not least the young contingent.

The futures of Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak and Jayden Danns are all up in the air, but they will hope to make a flying start to pre-season.

Unfortunately for Bajcetic, he is still recovering from hamstring surgery, but Doak and Danns may hope to avoid being loaned out again.

That said, there is far from a guarantee that any of them will still be Liverpool players come the end of August.

5. No new kit…for now

Liverpool’s kit deal with Nike doesn’t expire until the end of July, so we won’t get to see the new strip just yet – instead, Slot’s side will be donning a 2024/25 kit.

The Reds will be back in an Adidas kit from the beginning of August, meaning they won’t don it this weekend or for the tour of Hong Kong and Japan.

6. Who else do Liverpool play in pre-season?

This is the first of six pre-season friendlies for Liverpool, ahead of the defence of their Premier League title.

Next up after Preston is a clash with AC Milan in Hong Kong on July 26, before the Reds take on Yokohama FM in Japan on July 30.

Anfield hosts its first matches on August 4, with two different XIs facing Athletic Bilbao in a double-header.

Then comes the Community Shield meeting with Crystal Palace on August 10, prior to the Premier League opener at home to Bournemouth on August 15.

7. What’s happened at Preston this summer?

It was a 2024/25 campaign to forget for Preston, who ended up finishing 20th in the Championship.

Their last victory came in the middle of March and they are again expected to be among the stragglers at the bottom of the table.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side have lost Woodman to Liverpool, as mentioned, but new signings have arrived including Brighton right-back Odeluga Offiah.

The visit of the Reds is always a prestigious occasion for them and they will be looking to spring a surprise at Deepdale in what is their third game of the summer.

8. Did you know?

This is the second year in a row that Liverpool are facing Preston in a pre-season friendly.

Last summer, the Championship outfit won 1-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the AXA Training Centre in Slot’s first ‘unofficial’ friendly, with Robbie Brady scoring the only goal.

Liverpool last played at Deepdale in a friendly in 2023 – they won 3-1 against Darmstadt in pre-season.

9. Follow the match with TIA

Preston vs. Liverpool is live on both ITV1 and LFCTV from 2.30pm on Sunday, with kickoff at 3pm.

Alternatively, This Is Anfield‘s first live blog of the season will be running, with Sam Millne in the chair from 2.30pm.

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Newcastle are known to be ‘keen’ on striker Hugo Ekitike, also of interest to Liverpool, and now a fresh report states Eddie Howe’s side are “hoping to finally” land the Frenchman.

The No. 9 market is a pricey and reactive one this summer, with Liverpool firmly in the mix as Darwin Nunez prepares to leave Anfield.

Alexander Isak is the dream target, which is of no surprise to anyone, but Newcastle have firmly maintained that their talisman will not be sold, even if they sign another striker this summer.

Earlier this week, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano named Newcastle as one of the clubs “keen” on Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ekitike, who Liverpool have also been linked to.

Now the Telegraph‘s Luke Edwards, their leading Newcastle reporter, has stated on X that Howe is “hoping to finally land” Ekitike in a “huge statement of ambition.”

Newcastle have “made the player’s representatives aware of their desire” to secure Ekitike’s signature and “will hope to agree a fee with the Bundesliga club.”

Edwards’ report also seeks to maintain the Magpies’ stance that they have no interest in selling Isak and want Ekitike to act as competition and cover for the Swede.

From a Liverpool perspective, though, Newcastle‘s pursuit of Frankfurt’s striker could be seen as a bid to replace Isak, as if the Reds’ interest in the Frenchman is genuine, they would not allow a free run at a No. 9 that they also want.

There is also a consideration for how much the Magpies can realistically spend on a new backup striker after agreeing a £55 million deal for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga amid a pursuit for goalkeeper James Trafford.

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A sale of Isak would be in the region of £150 million, almost enough to wipe out the transfer fees of Elanga, Trafford and Ekitike.

There is also the other thought process that Newcastle are pushing the Ekitike narrative to get Liverpool to blink first so they forget their Isak interest and pursue an alternate target.

Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards have shown they are patient enough to play the waiting game and if they were to get any sense Isak wants to push for a move, they will act – for now, the game of chess continues.

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Yossi Benayoun was responsible for one of the most wildly-celebrated Liverpool goals of the Rafa Benitez era but ultimately his time at Anfield epitomised a period which promised so much but never fully delivered

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