Liverpool are poised to take on Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday as they bid to nail down Champions League qualification. Yet several developments away from the action have dominated headlines in the run-up to kick-off.
Arne Slot has been unable to retain the Premier League crown he secured in his debut campaign just 12 months earlier, with the possibility of featuring in Europe’s premier club competition for 2026/27 offering some consolation.
Currently, the Reds occupy fourth spot in the table with 58 points from their endeavours. Nevertheless, a top-five finish remains far from certain as Liverpool approach their final trio of fixtures against Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford. Here, Daily Star Sport examines the key stories…
Darwin Nunez return to Premier League on the cards
Darwin Nunez has confirmed his departure from Al-Hilal less than 12 months after switching to the Saudi Arabian outfit.
The Uruguayan forward represented Liverpool between 2022 and 2025 but generally fell short of justifying his £64million transfer fee, reports the Mirror.
Consequently, Liverpool decided to cut their losses and shipped him off to the Saudi Pro League for approximately £46m last summer. Yet Nunez’s stint in the Middle East has been anything but smooth.
Despite an encouraging start, he found himself removed from the squad following Karim Benzema’s January arrival, as Al-Hilal sought to meet foreign player restrictions.
These regulations dictate that only eight overseas players born before 2003 can feature in their 25-man squads.
Having failed to feature for the club since February, Nunez has allegedly reached an understanding with Al-Hilal that will permit his departure when the season concludes. He could become an attractive free agent at 26 should his deal be cancelled.
While a Liverpool comeback seems off the cards, several Premier League clubs have expressed interest in Nunez given his predicament. Newcastle United and Chelsea are understood to be keeping tabs on his situation.
FSG U-turn after supporter backlash
Liverpool’s owners have put plans to hike ticket prices for the next three seasons on hold following a surge of protests from fans. Recent matches at Anfield have seen banners and placards displayed by supporters around the stadium, as well as chants against Fenway Sports Group.
The club had previously unveiled plans for fixed ticket price rises through to 2030, igniting outrage among their fanbase. The club also justified that inflation and an increase in operating costs needed to be offset, although the pushback from fan groups was substantial.
Club executives have since engaged in discussions with these fan groups before partially reversing their decision. Instead of increasing ticket prices for the next three seasons, the club has chosen to raise general admission by three per cent next year but will freeze prices for the subsequent two years.
Liverpool announced in a statement: “The club and Supporters Board will use the certainty of these seasons to seek longer-term alternative solutions across the game and explore commercial ideas with the Supporters Board in an attempt to avoid future ticket price increases and address issues around affordability and accessibility for future generations.
“LFC believes that, without wider progress on alternative solutions, future inflationary increases may still be required, including season 2028/29, and will continue to engage with its supporters. Both the club and the Supporters Board are committed to exploring a longer-term solution that works in the interests of all.
“The club also remains committed to managing its cost challenges responsibly, giving advance notice to supporters and certainty to its own financial planning to remain competitive at the highest levels of football.”
In reaction, the Spirit of Shankly fan group issued their own statement, which read: “We understand disappointment at next season’s increase in ticket prices will remain for some, but there will be none the season after and we want to assure fans we will continue talks with the club and do our best to find other ways to prevent future rises.
“Our matchday culture has also been top of the agenda recently and again, SOS, as part of the Supporters’ Board, will work to protect it. We would like to thank those at LFC who have listened to us and engaged with us, not all club hierarchies would have done the same. And we look forward to working with them to find future paths that benefit all.
“We also want to thank you for backing us, for helping with handing out leaflets, for protesting and making sure your voices were heard. We could not have reached this point without you.”
