Welcome to the Liverpool.com daily Media Digest. From transfers to tweets, it can be hard to keep up with everything going on in the Anfield sphere. Credible, incredible and anything in between: we round it all up in one place here, taking a sideways look at the day’s media goings-on from around the world.

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Bellingham to Real Madrid will 'depend on coach'

Liverpool has been told of a potential new factor that could play a part in Jude Bellingham's decision over his next club this summer.

The midfielder is of course one of the most sought-after players in Europe at the moment, with Liverpool in a three-way battle with Manchester City and Real Madrid for his services.

The Spanish giant though may yet decide to leave the race - according to transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio, Madrid's interest could hinge on who is in charge at the Bernabeu next season.

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“With Real Madrid it depends on who the coach will be next season so it’s difficult to say," Di Marzio told MyBettingSites.co.uk.

“If Carlo Ancelotti isn’t the coach and I know they want Pochettino it will depend on whether Pochettino wants Jude Bellingham and the way he wants to play.

“If he says ‘I have Vinicius, I have Benzema, I have Rodrygo and I don’t need Bellingham' then they won’t spend one hundred million euros on Bellingham.”

Liverpool ‘outraged’ by Man City

Liverpool’s encounters with Manchester City in recent seasons have seen tensions rise both on and off the pitch as the two clubs’ rivalry has stepped up to a new level.

That though has led to some unsavory incidents, and according to The Mirror, Liverpool has now been left outraged by City’s latest move ahead of the clash on April 1.

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The Reds will reportedly make a direct appeal to the Premier League after City cut the visitors’ allocation by nearly 20 per cent ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium.

City’s reasoning has been due to “the threat to public order that has led to the reduction in allocation, on the advice of the Safety Advisory Group.” Liverpool fan group Spirit of Shankly though believes the move could strain relations between the two clubs further.

“At the corresponding fixture last season, Liverpool fans experienced overzealous stewarding and policing, and were locked in the ground after the match with no access to toilets,” Spirit of Shankly wrote.

“Such undue treatment of supporters serves only to increase tension, which SOS fed back to Greater Manchester Police at the time.

“Now, it appears, Liverpool supporters are to be penalized further.

“We understand reduced allocations at the Etihad have also happened to other clubs, which don’t seem to be about away fan behavior, but poor crowd management.”

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There is no doubt that Liverpool faces a real fight when it comes to finishing in the top four with the Reds currently trailing Tottenham and Newcastle United in the race. With 12 games to go, they will need as many of their key players available to ensure they stand a chance of Champions League qualification.

Following the conclusion of the international break, the brutal reality of the Premier League will be laid bare for Liverpool as crunch fixtures against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal all fall within just eight days of each other. Of course, given the Reds' mixed fortunes so far this term, it would be a surprise for them to take maximum points from all three clashes but the players will be under no illusion that a top-four finish will come without a fight and Jürgen Klopp's side will be looking to send a message to rivals that they are the team to beat in the chase.

Manager Klopp will also have one eye on this summer and next season, and one imagines his recruitment staff will be assessing a variety of options who may be able to strengthen the squad in a number of problem areas. One such position where we will likely see the Reds make reinforcements in is the center of defense where backup options for first-choice pairing Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk will likely be sought.

READ MORE: Sadio Mané may be contributing to Liverpool and FSG issue amid 'unhappy' Bayern Munich claim

READ MORE: Liverpool could soon give Jürgen Klopp defensive boost for free and England call-up proves it

Although the Reds have a lot to do between now and the end of the season, it is clear that this summer will be pivotal if Liverpool is to get back to challenging for major honors in the coming years. Here are the two Liverpool.com stories from today that you shouldn't miss.

Latest Liverpool injury news as at least two miss Man City

The aforementioned trio of blockbuster clashes against 'Big Six' rivals Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal could well come to define Liverpool's season. With that in mind, the majority of Reds supporters will likely be sweating on the fitness of a couple of major stars who could prove the difference in the upcoming fixtures.

Of course, mercurial forward Darwin Núñez was forced to withdraw from the Uruguay squad for this round of international matches after picking up an ankle injury and it remains to be seen whether this will be severe enough for him to miss any games for his club. The Kop-favorite sustained the injury against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League tie earlier this month and, thankfully, it is not thought to be the kind of knock that could see him sidelined for too long.

Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz will be pivotal for Liverpool as they look to make the top-four in the final Premier League run-in (Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

One player who made a major impact for Liverpool in the second half of last season was Luis Díaz, following his move from Porto last January. The Columbian has been ruled out with a knee injury since October and has been sorely missed, having arguably been the Reds' best player in the early months of the season. There is no doubt that the forward could well have a massive impact for Liverpool from now and the end of the season and he should be in full training ahead of the clash against Manchester City.

Read the full story from Matt Addison here

Liverpool could soon give Jürgen Klopp defensive boost

With Liverpool having been inconsistent so far this season, it is obvious that a major overhaul of Klopp's squad is likely a necessity for the Reds to get back to the form of previous years. Anfield recruitment gurus will likely have designs on addressing some of the key concerns through the transfer market but the rise of one youngster may also give some cause to look within at some of the talent already at the club.

Liverpool is likely looking at needing at least one backup center-half this summer with the long-term futures of Joël Matip and Nat Phillips uncertain and the form of Joe Gomez having been mixed this season. In this vein, the Reds have been linked with a host of names including RB Leipzig defender Joško Gvardiol and soon-to-be free agent Evan Ndicka of Eintracht Frankfurt but the progress of one Liverpool academy graduate may give Klopp some food for thought.

Jarell Quansah was called up to the England U20 squad this week after excelling while on loan at Bristol Rovers in League One. The 20-year-old made the temporary switch in the January transfer window and has been a mainstay in the side since his arrival, with his homegrown status likely to strengthen his case for first-team action at Liverpool when he arrives back on Merseyside in the summer.

See the full article from Ben Bocsak here

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Ever since Brexit, Liverpool has had to adapt its approach to transfers, particularly when it comes to academy recruitment. Prior to the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, thanks to free movement, the Reds were able to concentrate a lot of the club's academy recruitment on scouting EU-based players from abroad.

At times Liverpool's academy was filled with foreign stars, particularly from Spain while Rodolfo Borrell and several other Spanish coaches were still at the academy. Of course, in recent years, Liverpool has had to pivot from that strategy, and thus began in the last couple of years a scouting process more heavily concentrated on players on the British Isles, particularly when it comes to prospects under the age of 18.

In the last year alone this saw Liverpool sign the exciting Ben Doak, who has already made several appearances at first-team level for the club despite his tender age, as well as Trent Kone-Doherty.

READ MORE: Sadio Mané may be contributing to Liverpool and FSG issue amid 'unhappy' Bayern Munich claim

READ MORE: Liverpool could soon give Jürgen Klopp defensive boost for free and England call-up proves it

But it's not been all success, and the latest reminder of that has been Brighton's Evan Ferguson.

The exciting 18-year-old has been in good form with Brighton recently, and has been finding himself on the scoresheet regularly for the club's first team which has rightfully earned him a senior international call-up and his first start for Ireland's national team.

Ferguson didn't hesitate to make that moment count, scoring in the 17th minute of the game to open his account for his country.

His success recently will be regarded with a little bit of a sour taste at Anfield. Back in 2020, while Ferguson was still playing for Bohemian FC, he attracted the interest of Liverpool and even held talks with the club. However, in the end he rejected Liverpool's offer, in the hope of more first-team opportunities at Brighton. A choice that has worked perfect dividends.

"I went to Liverpool a few times,” Evan explained his decision to The Athletic. “It’s a good club, but you see so many boys at Liverpool just fading away and there’s no chance to get in the first team. I was thinking, ‘Do I just want to play two years of Under-18s and then go to the U23s and go from there to where?’"

His comments will be positive for Liverpool, but they will also give FSG and Jürgen Klopp some food for thought.

Evan Ferguson once rejected Liverpool in favour of Brighton. (Image: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ferguson's comments are positive for Liverpool because he still talks with a high level of appreciation about the club describing the Reds quite simply as a 'good club.' Now that he has proven himself at first-team level and in the Premier League, he is clearly going to be a player Liverpool would maintain a level of interest given the club's scouts will be familiar with him from his days back in Ireland, and it's not unheard of the Reds going back in for a player they scouted heavily several years down the line.

After all, Liverpool was aware of the talents and had scouted both Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz even before they moved to Europe. In this sense, the door is definitely still open for Ferguson to don the red shirt in the future. Although now FSG would have to pay a significant fee in order to land his services considering Tony Bloom is a tough negotiator at Brighton. But that's a problem the club would have to solve in the future when the matter becomes pertinent.

On the other hand, Ferguson's comments also raise a level of concern that must be investigated at Anfield. The path for forwards into the first team has been severely restricted in recent years.

And while much of that can be explained by the level of success and world-class players Liverpool has had in the squad, in that time the Reds saw the emergence of players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott or Curtis Jones in the first team.

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In fact, young strikers failing to make the grade at Liverpool dates back to even before the days of Klopp.

There was a time when Liverpool could boast the likes of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler as homegrown forwards in the squad. But in the 21st century that production line has stuttered.

There's been plenty of exciting young forwards in the academy. From Adam Morgan who was lauded as the 'next Fowler' to Jerome Sinclair, who became the youngest player to debut for Liverpool's first team and Rhian Brewster, who was always prolific at academy level, yet couldn't quite make the step up to replicate that form at senior level.

Clearly, this is a trend prospective strikers like Ferguson are taking a notice of, and it's something Liverpool has to address, especially since the club is in a position of transition at the moment, meaning Liverpool will have to attract younger players to Anfield in order to build for the future.

FSG's next step is therefore obvious. Break the academy forward curse at Liverpool. Though of course, that's easier said than done. The task is now up to Klopp to complete.

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With Liverpool keen to further expand its global brand and reach, the partnership with Nike seemed ideal for being able to hit new markets and ensure that the Reds remained on an upward trajectory off the pitch.

Already, the influence of basketball icon LeBron James, who is a Nike athlete and a lifetime partner in Fenway Sports Group (FSG), has been seen with his collaboration having been unveiled a few weeks back.

Now, another step forward into a new market has emerged with a collection by Nike-owned fashion brand Converse having been detailed, which will come on sale from April 6.

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The idea is to reach a different demographic and appeal to a wider audience, joining together football (or soccer) with fashion and lifestyle elements.

Finding new ways to grow commercially is hugely important to Liverpool's economic model and the partnership with Nike is a vital part of that, with the Reds getting a base fee of around $43m (£35m/€40m) per year from the US sports giant, plus 20 per cent of sales of Liverpool FC-branded items worldwide.

That is expected, the ECHO says, to make the kit deal worth around double the initial fee generated (that would make it worth around $86m annually), though there is scope for that to increase further, and also helps to grow the Liverpool brand, offering other intangible benefits.

The Liverpool x Converse range has been unveiled. (Image: Liverpool FC)

The partnership with LeBron, for instance, could open Liverpool FC up to fans of basketball in the US, who view the Reds positively thanks to the association with one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.

Nine items in total are available from the Converse collaboration including a Liverpool FC take on the iconic Chuck 70 high top sneakers (as pictured above).

As Liverpool's marketability is further exploited, its commercial value will continue to rise. The deal with Nike, the partnership with LeBron, and now the crossover with Converse, are all signs of what the future holds for the Anfield side off the pitch.

All of these things point to the wider FSG plan as Liverpool looks to hit even more new markets that it's already-vast global reach has, with the Nike deal a central example.

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Welcome to the Liverpool.com daily Media Digest. From transfers to tweets, it can be hard to keep up with everything going on in the Anfield sphere. Credible, incredible and anything in between: we round it all up in one place here, taking a sideways look at the day’s media goings-on from around the world.

***

Next Real Madrid transfer battle

Liverpool is willing to pay Gabri Veiga's release clause to sign the Celta Vigo wonderkid, according to Cadena SER, though the same report suggests that Real Madrid could also make a move before the summer.

READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp could unlock 'Lionel Messi and David Silva hybrid' amid Liverpool transfer links

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The priority for both clubs is Jude Bellingham, of course. But Veiga is also a huge young talent, and his release clause is set at just $43m (£35m/€40m), which is a fraction of the price of the Borussia Dortmund teenager.

It is said that the player's preference is to stay in Spain and sign for Real Madrid, but also that because Bellingham and Veiga play in similar roles, it would be a case of one or the other ending up at the Bernabéu.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal are all also said to be keen on a move for the 20-year-old talent, so Veiga will have no shortage of options in the summer, when a big move seemingly beckons.

Cady Gakpo sent home

Five players have been sent home from international duty with the Netherlands including Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, according to L'Equipe, after a spate of illness. The Reds have also confirmed that Gakpo is returning to Merseyside.

The Dutch national side is about to take on France, but a virus means they must do so without Gakpo, Matthijs de Ligt, Joey Veerman, Sven Botman and Liverpool-linked Bart Verbruggen.

Ibrahima Konaté, meanwhile, is, Get Football News France says, set to start the game at the heart of the French back four alongside former RB Leipzig teammate Dayot Upamecano.

The fixture between the Netherlands and France takes place in Paris on Friday night, with England facing Italy in Naples later today.

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Roberto Firmino has bid his farewell to Liverpool, and at the end of the season he will be departing onto pastures new after almost a decade long service at the club. Whether Liverpool even decides to sign a replacement remains to be seen.

The club's attacking department is well-stocked with offensive players, and there are plenty who can and have played the 'Firmino role' under Jürgen Klopp of late. Most recently, the responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of Cody Gakpo, who has done extremely well in settling in the number nine position and already looks like a player tailor made for Liverpool.

But in the past, Diogo Jota has also enjoyed successful stints in that position and Liverpool's summer signing, Darwin Núñez, is also capable of playing centrally if needed, and is probably his preferred position even though he has spent the vast majority of his time playing on the left under Klopp.

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Yet despite the plethora of options centrally, losing a pair of legs in Firmino in attack will weaken the squad to an extent. Having already lost valuable back-up options like Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino last summer, Klopp doesn't want to be in a situation where he is only a few injuries away from being forced to use makeshift or academy players before they are ready to make the step up in order to cover for injured players.

And there is in fact a void in attack anyway that hasn't been filled for years now. Behind Mohamed Salah, there is no one to cover in the right-wing position. Harvey Elliott can play there, but Klopp prefers to use him in the middle with the teenager lacking the explosive speed needed in Liverpool's attack. Ben Doak could be another option but he is still extremely young, and perhaps a regular role in the first team might come a bit too soon for the Scotland U21 international.

The space left behind by Firmino could easily be filled in order to solve this weak spot in the squad, and while Liverpool will be reticent in spending too much money on a potential replacement for the Brazilian, considering the club has bigger priorities elsewhere in midfield and defence, there might just be a perfect candidate who could be ideal for the role in Ukrainian international Viktor Tsygankov.

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An extremely prolific winger, he fits the profile of what Liverpool is looking for in terms of offensive players. Not only is he really explosive with plenty of speed to hurt opposition defences, he also has the knack for contributing regularly with goals and assists.

Back in January, Girona FC in La Liga landed him for an absolute bargain transfer price of $5.4m (£4.4m/ €5m), and he has already repaid that transfer fee, scoring three goals and registering three assists in his first seven La Liga games for the club in just 451 minutes.

Liverpool would of course now have to pay a significantly higher fee to land him from Girona, but considering he is still just 25 years old and has settled in with ease to a top five league, even triple or quadruple what Girona paid to sign him would be well worth every penny.

To illustrate his talent for Dinamo Kyiv, Tsygankov scored 96 goals and registered 64 assists in 236 games. Those stats are on par with the kind of output you expect a Liverpool attacker to make, and Liverpool will struggle to find a better back-up option behind Mohamed Salah than the Ukrainian winger.

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