Liverpool news: Reds teammates in fiery row as baffling Mohamed Salah claim made

Attention may almost return to domestic football as the international break enters its final days.

Arne Slot will be happy to see his Liverpool stars return soon as the Reds look to continue a record-breaking season. The Dutchman has guided Liverpool to top spot in both the Premier League and Champions League so far and will not want to see his side's efforts diminish as they continue to learn what their head coach wants.

Slot will be hoping his side return unscathed as preparations get under way for the trip to St Mary's to take on Southampton. Liverpool are already five points ahead of rivals Manchester City, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest are four further back.

While some international responsibilities remain, Mirror Football takes a look at some of the news surrounding the Reds.

Red row

Liverpool teammates Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez were involved in a fiery altercation as their teams faced off in South American World Cup qualifying. A dramatic match unfolded as Colombia, captained by Diaz, appeared to have secured a late draw when Andres Gomez scored the equalizer in the 96th minute, but Manchester United star Manuel Ugarte scored in the 11th minute of extra time to secure a securing a 3-2 victory.

Some tension remained at the final whistle, it seems, as Diaz and Nunez gave each other an icy reception and some angry words before being pulled away by their international teammates. However, despite what initially seemed disturbing scenes for Liverpool, tempers appeared to cool as the duo eventually embraced before going their separate ways.

Virgil van Dijk prediction

Virgil van Dijk's former teammate Jose Fonte has backed the Dutchman to play until he is 40. The ex-Celtic and Southampton star will see his contract with Liverpool expire this summer, with his future still to be resolved.

However, talent will not stop Van Dijk, says Fonte. The commitment required to continue playing at the top may be more of a consideration, but Fonte is under no illusion that Van Dijk can continue if he wants to.

“I would back Virgil van Dijk to play until he is 40 because although he still has pace, he could adapt in his positioning and anticipate the game even better over the years,” he told JeffBet.

“If he stays healthy and has no injuries, he can continue playing until he's 40. It will just come down to what he wants to do with his career because it can be very exhausting to play at the highest level. But physically he is a monster, one of the best specimens I have seen. As a central defender, he wins all his headers, wins all his duels quickly, is good on the ball and is a complete player.”

Fonte also mentioned a possible successor to Van Dijk in the form of Newcastle United star Sven Botman. “I would like to see Sven Botman replace Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool and I think he has the capabilities to do so,” he added.

“We won the league together in France and just like Van Dijk, he is a monster. He is tall, very good in duels, he plays as a left center back, he likes to tackle, he is aggressive and still young. I just hope that He can continue his progress after his injury and stay healthy. If he does that, I'm sure Liverpool will consider him.”

Troy Deeney makes a stunning claim of Mo Salah

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney has made a stunning claim that Mohamed Salah is not world class. The Liverpool star has contributed to more goals than any other Premier League player this season, having found the net eight times and providing six assists, but that has not been enough to convince Deeney of his abilities.

The retired footballer had reserved some praise for Salah and believes Liverpool made a mistake by letting his contract expire in the final months.

“I think Mohamed Salah is excellent, he is a crucial role for Liverpool and they should never have let that happen [his expiring contract] to get to this situation,” Deeney told talkSPORT. “But I understand there is a financial structure around what they want to try and stick to.

“My argument has always been that I just don't think he's world class. But world class is just a different opinion. What I think world class is: Would I want my kids to play like that player? That's what I think world class is .” class.

“If I were to ask my kids who wants to play forward, I would say I would want them to look at what Vinicius Jr. does in contrast to Mohamed Salah.

“But his goals he [Salah] scores, he scores an incredible amount of goals, he is very effective, but that's just my opinion. He'll probably turn around and say, 'Who is Troy?', and be honest with him, but that's just my opinion.”