Liverpool rivals round-up: Kylian Mbappé’s future continues to be a talking point across Europe, while Napoli has been threatened with legal action from one of its players.
Kylian Mbappé’s contract at PSG is set to expire next summer (Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool will be aiming to continue its unbeaten start to the season this evening as it takes on Leicester in the Carabao Cup.
The Reds will likely make wholesale changes with one eye on Saturday’s Premier League clash against Tottenham, but a relatively strong side should be on show at Anfield.
Jürgen Klopp’s side has so far claimed six wins from seven in an unbeaten start in all competitions, underlining Liverpool as one of the early pace-setters across Europe.
Elsewhere, it hasn’t quite been the ideal start for some of the Reds’ rivals across the continent. Napoli has made a somewhat inauspicious start to the season after winning Serie A last season, and now things threaten to get very ugly with its star striker.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé’s future continues to be dominating headlines in France and Spain, and La Liga’s president has now weighed in on what he expects the Paris Saint-Germain star to do next.
Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the other big sides in the Premier League and around Europe to take a look at the news going on at the other clubs.
Victor Osimhen agent threatens legal action against Napoli
Victor Osimhen’s agent has threatened legal action against Napoli after the striker was mocked on social media (as per BBC Sport).
Napoli shared a video on its TikTok account of Osimhen missing a penalty against Bologna, dubbed over with a high-pitched voice saying ”gimme penalty please”. The post has since been deleted, but Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda has nevertheless threatened legal action.
“We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor,” Calenda wrote on X/Twitter. “What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable.”
La Liga chief makes Kylian Mbappé ‘destiny’ prediction
La Liga president Javier Tebas has said it is Kylian Mbappé’s ‘destiny’ to make the move to Real Madrid. Mbappé’s contract at PSG is set to expire next summer, with a public fallout between the player and club during the summer ultimately resulting in the 24-year-old staying put this season.
French journalist Julien Laurens claimed earlier this month that Liverpool could have a chance of landing Mbappé (via ESPN FC Show). An eventual move to Madrid seems the most likely outcome though, and Tebas is fairly certain the move will happen.
“Convinced? Convinced, no. But it is a destiny for him, for sure,” Tebas told Movistar Plus. “Next year it will be more than 70-80 per cent.”
Liverpool.com says: As much as Liverpool fans would love for Mbappé to arrive at Anfield, it seems an inevitability that he will land in Madrid, whether that is in January or, more likely, next summer.
The real question is whether PSG can get him to sign an extension on his contract in order to ensure he doesn’t leave for free. If so, it would add a little more jeopardy to a potential move away.
