Jurgen Klopp accepted Liverpool's defending was not good enough as a Leandro Trossard hat-trick secured a 3-3 draw for Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield.

Trossard gave the visitors deserved two-goal lead inside 17 minutes of head coach Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge on Saturday, but Roberto Firmino pulled a goal back before the break and equalised early in the second half.

Adam Webster's own goal put the Reds ahead for the first time, but a third clinical left-foot finish from Belgium forward Trossard with seven minutes of normal time remaining salvaged a warranted point.

Trossard became only the third visiting player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Anfield, after Peter Ndlovu and Andrey Arshavin, and Brighton could have added more goals as Liverpool's defensive frailties were exposed.

A point for Liverpool leaves them in ninth and Klopp believes his team can have few complaints, with Trent Alexander-Arnold – who was in the headlines this week after being left out of the England squad to face Germany – twice caught out as Trossard put Brighton in command early on.

Klopp told BBC Sport: "This game has different stories. There is the story of how we conceded two early goals, there is the story of how we came back in the game, then there is the story of how we threw it away.

"Brighton are a really good football team and a real team. It was a different formation, we were surprised a little bit? Yes, a little. But we were already 2-0 down when we adapted from that.

"We scored our goals which were the counter-attacks. We could have won, but would we have deserved to win? I'm actually not sure. Brighton deserved something.

"With all the good things we did during the week the confidence is a little lower and when someone stamps on it, it is really difficult. We have to accept it. Of course it is not enough for us but it is what we got.

"I spoke to the boys in a similar way to how I speak to you. I don't know how many times I have to say we need a reaction. The first goal has an impact on both teams. They were flying and we were somewhere in between. They used that for the second goal.

"We could have defended much better. It's football and you have to accept it. On a day when it starts like this, it's important to fight your way through. It would be nice if you could win it. We always have problems against Brighton who are a very good football team, but we have to do better.

"I know we have 10 points and that's the reality. I don't hide from that. We have to go together and build."

Liverpool's tally of 10 points is their joint-fourth worst total through their first seven Premier League matches of a season.

Leandro Trossard scored a hat-trick to earn a 3-3 draw for Brighton and Hove Albion in a Premier League thriller against Liverpool at Anfield.

Trossard's double in the opening 17 minutes put the visitors in command in head coach Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge.

Liverpool hit back through Roberto Firmino before the break and the Brazil striker equalised early in the second half of a pulsating Premier League encounter.

Adam Webster's own goal put Liverpool ahead for the first time, but Trossard completed his treble with seven minutes of normal time remaining to give Brighton a deserved point.

Trossard gave De Zerbi a dream start to his reign, taking a clever flick from Danny Welbeck and drilling home with his left foot from inside the area after beating Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Alisson made fine saves from Welbeck and Trossard but was powerless to prevent the latter doubling his tally with a clinical left-foot finish after Alexander-Arnold's error.

Robert Sanchez thwarted Mohamed Salah, but the Egypt forward's touch gave Firmino the opportunity to find the back of an empty net, with the goal awarded following a VAR check for offside.

Firmino showed great composure to equalise on the break nine minutes into the second half, taking a pass from half-time substitute Luis Díaz and producing some trickery to round Lewis Dunk before applying the finish.

The turnaround looked complete when Sanchez paid the price for flapping at Alexander-Arnold's corner, with the unfortunate Webster turning into his own net.

Yet Brighton continued to pose a huge threat and, after Alisson denied Welbeck, Trossard sealed his hat-trick by superbly converting a left-wing cross.

Alexander-Arnold forced an excellent save from Sanchez in the closing stages, but Liverpool were unable to find a winner.

Jurgen Klopp does not understand why anybody would focus only on Trent Alexander-Arnold's defending when he has "world-class talent" on the ball.

Liverpool right-back Alexander-Arnold has been the subject of much debate this week after being left out of England's matchday squad to face Germany on Monday.

Reece James started the match and Kyle Walker came off the bench, while Kieran Trippier was among the substitutes.

James appears to be Gareth Southgate's preferred option in that position, but Walker has made 50 appearances under the Three Lions manager. Trippier has turned out 37 times for Southgate, starting in both the 2018 World Cup semi-final and Euro 2020 final.

That leaves Alexander-Arnold – often outstanding for Liverpool – as fourth-choice and looking highly unlikely to feature at the World Cup, even if selected in the 26-man squad.

Southgate handed Alexander-Arnold his international debut in 2018, but he has since earned just 17 caps for his country.

While the 23-year-old's creative abilities are unquestioned – he leads the England quartet in chances created (2.4) and expected assists (0.32) per 90 minutes in the Premier League in 2022 – there are doubts around his defending.

Klopp has accepted Alexander-Arnold has room for improvement, but ahead of Saturday's game against Brighton and Hove Albion, he also suggested "nobody mentions" when the Liverpool man defends well.

"It's like you have a list, bad defending and good defending, and bad defending [is] massive, and the good defending [list] is like you can't even see," he said.

"That's what I see, because I'm not dumb."

Klopp was also keen to point out some of Alexander-Arnold's shortcomings are due to Liverpool's approach, as they are "extremely brave" in their pressing and "the pitch is too big to be everywhere".

Yet even when Alexander-Arnold is directly at fault, his club manager believes there is too much focus on those shortcomings.

"There are other situations where he was not aware of the situation, where they pass the ball through him, where it was a challenge he should've won – true," Klopp said. "Every player in the league has these challenges.

"With him, you pick it out, analyse so easy. All the experts sitting there, 'in this situation, you see it's a weakness'.

"Honestly, I just don't get it, I just don't get that part of it – that we just accept that a world-class talent gets judged by the one thing he's not as world-class as in other things."

And Klopp added: "If he would not be a good defender, he wouldn't play."

Chelsea have reportedly already conducted a medical for RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku with the aim of signing him at the end of this season.

It has long been thought Nkunku's time at Leipzig was coming to an end, but the Bundesliga club retained his services in the most recent transfer window, potentially setting him up for a 2023 departure.

Nkunku is off to a terrific start to the Bundesliga season, netting four goals from seven games, and while the interest in him is expected to be wide-ranging, Chelsea have used their relationship with Leipzig in an effort to jump to the front of the queue.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA COMPLETE SECRET NKUNKU MEDICAL, PREPARE TO TRIGGER RELEASE CLAUSE

According to Bild, Nkunku has a release clause in his contract set at €60million, and Chelsea are prepared to trigger it at the conclusion of this campaign.

Chelsea and Leipzig have done plenty of business together previously, including sales of Timo Werner in either direction and advanced negotiations around young centre-back Josko Gvardiol. It appears Nkunku was also discussed at length, and the German club were willing to let Chelsea take a closer look at the in-demand attacker ahead of any official bids being made.

With Gvardiol also remaining a potential target for new Chelsea coach Graham Potter – with his price tag set at a huge €90m – this could turn into one of the most expensive package deals ever.

ROUND-UP

– According to the Daily Star, Erling Haaland weighed up a potential move to Liverpool before eventually choosing Manchester City, but he categorically ruled out Manchester United.

– Football Insider is reporting Aston Villa are considering Mauricio Pochettino and Unai Emery for their next manager if Steven Gerrard is fired.

– Football Insider also claims Leicester City's James Maddison is "very keen" on a move to Tottenham after reports they are keeping tabs on the 25-year-old midfielder.

– Chelsea will give Christian Pulisic a chance to prove his value before making a decision on his future, per 90min.

– Sport is reporting Juventus are planning a January move for Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits Trent Alexander-Arnold has "space for improvement" defensively when questioned over the full-back not featuring for England.

The 23-year-old was called up by Three Lions' boss Gareth Southgate for the fixtures against Italy and Germany, but failed to get on the pitch in either as Chelsea man Reece James played both matches.

While Alexander-Arnold has shown plenty of attacking ability over his career, registering 45 assists for Liverpool in 167 Premier League appearances, his defensive capabilities have been questioned.

And Klopp feels Alexander-Arnold could become more solid going backwards, telling reporters ahead of Liverpool's match against Brighton and Hove Albion: "I see him differently. People say he's not a good defender. That's not true.

"He is a good defender, but he doesn't always defend good. That's true. That's what we're working on. He's a young player, he's 23, and there's space for improvement definitely.

"We only discuss it on the level we discuss it because his offensive impact is so extreme. Is he always exceptional? No."

Klopp also feels the discussion over Alexander-Arnold's role in the England squad is harming their chances at the upcoming World Cup, after former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor said the defender should "retire" from international duty until Southgate left his position.

"We can now discuss selections until the World Cup starts. It's one of the reasons why you make massive stories of why the [England] team can't prepare properly," Klopp added.

"If you ask me for my honest opinion, it will create headlines, that's clear. Do you want that? It helps Germany maybe, but not England.

"If you want them to play a good World Cup, then don't cook it too hot. Otherwise, you discuss this until November, and don't let them work properly.

"I think you could see a little bit, England are slightly under pressure because they don't play to their full quality in this moment.

"Let them do the job, and criticise afterwards."

Emile Heskey has dismissed Liverpool's title chances because he fears they will be unable to keep pace with "relentless" Manchester City.

The Premier League returns this weekend, with City already flying high and on the coat-tails of early leaders Arsenal.

Pep Guardiola's City team are undefeated with five wins and two draws so far, plus a league-high goal difference of plus 17, six better than any other side.

By contrast, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have won only two of six games to date, struggling to match the high standards they set when pushing City all the way to the final day in last season's championship.

Former Reds striker Heskey declared Liverpool are "probably not" in this season's title race, telling Stats Perform: "I think their main focus is top four now because Champions League is a must.

"I think City are relentless. Give them an inch, they'll take a mile. They know how to exploit things.

"They might be 1-0 down, but you know that they're going to come back. And this is the relentlessness that I think Liverpool had a couple of seasons ago, and they're trying to get back now.

"I don't think it's going to be a particularly bad season getting into the top four, I think it is still massive."

Heskey said "everyone knows" losing Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich amounted to "a huge miss" for Liverpool, with the sale having gone through in late June, ending a six-year Anfield stay for the Senegalese forward.

Former England international Heskey rates Luis Diaz and is hopeful Mohamed Salah will roar back to Golden Boot form, having made a somewhat underwhelming start to the campaign, with two goals and two assists in six league games.

"The thing with Mo, is we are so used to it," Heskey said of the Egyptian's prolific scoring. "But when it wasn't Mo, we had another person that could take up that mantle.

"And if you haven't got that other person to take up that mantle, who will get you the goals that Mo used to as well, you can then start pointing back at Mo and saying, 'Well, he's not doing this, he's not doing that'.

"But the pressures come with that and he understands that, and he's able to get on with that and deal with it. He's a fantastic player.

"I think just give him the ball and let him go and enjoy himself again. When you saw Mo Salah smiling, that's when you know that you've got something good. Even when he's missing chances and he's smiling, you know that he's on form."

Liverpool face Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, their first domestic game in four weeks, after two postponements in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death were followed by the international break.

Darwin Nunez has yet to show his peak Benfica form in a Liverpool shirt since switching from the Portuguese giants in the close season, but Heskey suspects the talent is there for the Uruguayan striker to become a "phenomenal" Premier League performer.

As was the case with a pair of Arsenal greats, Heskey feels Nunez could come good after a settling-in period.

Heskey said: "He's still a young player and one thing we've got to understand is, these players coming from abroad who are coming and adapting, not all of them adapt straight away.

"It's a bit of an anomaly for the ones who just come in and just fit straight in.

"You need to give them time. You've got to remember Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry didn't just fit in and click straight away, and we're talking about Premier League greats. So give him the opportunity, and give them the time to settle in. I know we don't have time, but give them time to settle in and he will be a phenomenal player."

Mohamed Salah and Liverpool are ready to throw off the shackles and show their best form after a slow start to the season, according to former Reds winger Albert Riera.

Salah shared the Golden Boot with Tottenham's Son Heung-min in England last season, and fell just shy of capturing the Premier League title with Jurgen Klopp's side.

But, like Liverpool collectively, the Egyptian forward has found the going tough so far this term.

Just two goals and two assists – a modest return by Salah's standards – have come amid a slow start for both player and club, with Liverpool perched in eighth place.

Defending champions Manchester City are vying with Arsenal and Tottenham for top spot.

Riera, who spent two years with Liverpool from 2008 to 2010 following a brief spell with City, believes Salah can still turn the corner and rediscover his best form.

"For sure, 100 per cent," Riera told Stats Perform. "He is focused on scoring goals, he wants to score goals, he wants to play well, and he wants to do his best.

"But we also have to understand this level of player, the rest want to stop them. This is extra motivation for a defender to play against Mo, that he is not scoring goals.

"It is not easy to play against defenders because they are so motivated, and they want to stop them. But I'm sure he will score goals as he did before."

With the season almost two months old, Liverpool already face a fight to close the gap on City, with an eight-point gap between the two sides heading into this weekend.

Liverpool have a game in hand, and former Spain international Riera remains positive the Reds can catch up, but he remains in awe of their rivals' success under Pep Guardiola.

"Man City have been at this level already for many years," Riera said. "But they are a machine at creating chances. Even if you put the bus at the back, you will concede chances.

"Playing against Man City, I don't know how I would prepare this game. They're a team that have clear ideas and [are] difficult to beat. But I [think] Liverpool can fight them.

"I'm sure now that they are on their way back, and I'm sure they will fight at the end with Man City for the title."

Jude Bellingham is attracting plenty of admirers with his impressive performances for Borussia Dortmund and England.

The 19-year-old midfielder joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020.

Bellingham is contracted until 2025, but clubs are queueing up to sign the young prospect.

TOP STORY – BLUES JOIN QUEUE FOR BELLINGHAM

Chelsea are the latest club to join the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, reports the Telegraph.

Fabrizio Romano claims that Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Manchester United along with the Blues are all pursuing a deal for the teenager.

Romano reports that Dortmund are not in talks with any clubs yet, instead deferring any discussions and decision on a price tag until after the 2022 World Cup. The Telegraph claims that Bellingham will cost around £130 million (€145m).

ROUND-UP

– The Daily Mail reports Manchester City want assurances from Bernardo Silva that he will not push for a move at the end of this season following links with Barcelona during the last transfer window. City are said to be planning talks with Silva in the coming months.

– Barcelona are interested in Ilkay Gundogan, who has less than a year remaining on his Manchester City contract, reports Sport. The German midfielder, who turns 32 in October, has been with City since 2016.

– Karim Benzema and Real Madrid are close to agreeing to an extension on his contract, locking him down at the club until 2024, reports Italian journalist Nicolo Schira.

– Tuttosport claims Milan have offered Rafael Leao an improved contract worth €6million per season plus bonuses, as they attempt to fend off interest from Chelsea and Manchester City.

– The Sun claims Arsenal will make a January move for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz after failing in an attempt to sign him on deadline day.

– Socceroos 18-year-old forward Garang Kuol has flown to England to sign with Newcastle United having reached an agreement with his Australian club Central Coast, claims Fabrizio Romano. Sky Sports reports that Kuol will be loaned out in January.

Darwin Nunez will "score a lot of goals and show his talent" despite a tough start to his Liverpool career, says ex-Reds midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.

Striker signing Nunez, who scored on his Premier League debut against Fulham, has failed to add to his tally following a three-match ban for a red card against Crystal Palace in August.

But Sissoko – a Liverpool player for three years under Rafael Benitez – is confident the Uruguay forward simply needs time to adapt.

"It's not easy to play in the Premier League. It's a big difference between the Portuguese league and the Premier League," Sissoko told Stats Perform.

"If Liverpool spent a lot of money for this player, it's because he has quality. I'm sure he's going to score a lot of goals and show his talent, because he has talent."

Liverpool are down in eighth place in the Premier League after a disappointing start to the season in which they dropped points against Fulham, Palace, Manchester United and Everton.

And Nunez is not the only player to have struggled, with fellow forward Mohamed Salah criticised in scoring only twice in six league matches.

But Sissoko feels Salah's team-mates are as much to blame, adding: "It depends on the team also. When you play well, when you score, you make lots of good things, it depends on the team, not one player.

"The team has to play well, and after Mo Salah is going to show his talent."

With a tough run of fixtures ahead and with only two clean sheets so far, Liverpool will also need to improve defensively if they are to climb the table. 

When asked about Liverpool's back line and recent scrutiny of Virgil van Dijk, Sissoko said: "He's still one of the best defenders in Europe.

"[Just] because he's not playing well in one game or three games, you can't say he's a poor player. He has quality.

"He's captain of the Netherlands national team, he plays for Liverpool, and he's shown everyone he's a good player. He's a leader also. 

"Sometimes in football, [things] happen. Sometimes you play well, sometimes you play not good, but I'm sure after the international break all the team is going to win and [take] Liverpool higher."

Liverpool are still among the challengers for the Premier League title despite an indifferent start to the season, according to Mohamed Sissoko.

The Reds were beaten to the title by a solitary point by rivals Manchester City in an exhilarating 2021-22 campaign.

Jurgen Klopp's side lost Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich but were still expected to be among the main challengers for the Premier League again this season after spending big on Darwin Nunez.

However, Liverpool have not had the start to the season they were hoping for, sitting eighth in the table after six games with only two wins to their name, drawing three and losing another to fierce rivals Manchester United.

That patchy start means Liverpool are already nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal and eight back of City, who were bolstered in the last transfer window by the arrival of Erling Haaland.

But Sissoko, who represented Liverpool between 2005 and 2008, is sure there is plenty of time to make up the gap.

Speaking to Stats Perform, he said: "For sure [they can still challenge], because the league is not over.

"I think step by step, I think Klopp is going to [do] a good job to start to win [matches] and start to [bring back] confidence.

"When you start the season it depends on injuries, it depends on which players go, which players come in. Those adaptations are not easy but I'm 100 per cent happy with this team.

"Sadio Mane unfortunately left. He was one of the best players but I think the new players are doing well.

"Step by step, once the injured [players] come back, I think Liverpool can fight with that other [teams], for sure." 

With a tough run of fixtures ahead of Klopp's side in October, including meetings with Arsenal and Manchester City, the next month could already prove decisive in Liverpool's campaign. 

When asked what needs to change for Liverpool to show more consistency, Sissoko answered: "I think confidence. When you don't win the games it's not easy. 

"But step by step, with the support, with the injured [players] coming back, I think Liverpool can fight, for sure."

Liverpool will take on Brighton as the Premier League returns on Saturday, before they host Rangers in the Champions League.

Liverpool are still among the challengers for the Premier League title despite an indifferent start to the season, according to Mohamed Sissoko.

The Reds were beaten to the title by a solitary point by rivals Manchester City in an exhilarating 2021-22 campaign.

Jurgen Klopp's side lost Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich but were still expected to be among the main challengers for the Premier League again this season after spending big on Darwin Nunez.

However, Liverpool have not had the start to the season they were hoping for, sitting eighth in the table after six games with only two wins to their name, drawing three and losing another to fierce rivals Manchester United.

That patchy start means Liverpool are already nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal and eight back of City, who were bolstered in the last transfer window by the arrival of Erling Haaland.

But Sissoko, who represented Liverpool between 2005 and 2008, is sure there is plenty of time to make up the gap.

Speaking to Stats Perform, he said: "For sure [they can still challenge], because the league is not over.

"I think step by step, I think Klopp is going to [do] a good job to start to win [matches] and start to [bring back] confidence.

"When you start the season it depends on injuries, it depends on which players go, which players come in. Those adaptations are not easy but I'm 100 per cent happy with this team.

"Sadio Mane unfortunately left. He was one of the best players but I think the new players are doing well.

"Step by step, once the injured [players] come back, I think Liverpool can fight with that other [teams], for sure." 

With a tough run of fixtures ahead of Klopp's side in October, including meetings with Arsenal and Manchester City, the next month could already prove decisive in Liverpool's campaign. 

When asked what needs to change for Liverpool to show more consistency, Sissoko answered: "I think confidence. When you don't win the games it's not easy. 

"But step by step, with the support, with the injured [players] coming back, I think Liverpool can fight, for sure."

Liverpool will take on Brighton as the Premier League returns on Saturday, before they host Rangers in the Champions League.

Gareth Southgate has left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his England squad for Monday's Nations League dead rubber against Germany, citing a need to pick players he believes in.

England have already been relegated from League A after failing to win any of their five matches, which have also only yielded a single goal.

The Three Lions' form has been especially alarming given the World Cup starts in less than two months, with the Germany game essentially their final warm-up match.

With very little riding on the match at Wembley, it was assumed Southgate might take the chance to give opportunities to those who have been used sparingly.

But Southgate has instead given an indication as to who he does not appear to have complete faith in, with Alexander-Arnold – an unused substitute during Friday's defeat to Italy – among those left out.

Fikayo Tomori, James Ward-Prowse and Jarrod Bowen are reportedly the others set to miss out, while Jack Grealish is suspended.

This exclusion is just the latest blow for Alexander-Arnold at international level, with the right-back seemingly underused considering his importance for Liverpool.

"Of course, he does have a fantastic range of passing, we're blessed with different profiles of player in that position," Southgate told reporters when discussing Alexander-Arnold's irregularity for England.

"If we play with wing-backs, [Kieran] Trippier and Reece James are also exceptional with the ball, in different ways, and we're always having to look at the full package with everything and assess the players on all of their attributes.

"They've all been to Champions League finals, some of them have been to latter stages of major tournaments with us, Trent's won the league, Trippier's won the Spanish league, [Kyle] Walker's won the English league; there are so many good attributes about them.

"It's a really difficult position to make decisions on, but we have to go with the ones we believe [in], and ultimately I'll be judged on the outcome, as we know."

For Southgate, it is not simply a matter of putting Alexander-Arnold in the team and telling him to play his natural game; he operates in a certain way for Liverpool because Jurgen Klopp's system allows him to thrive, and England have not yet managed to find such a solution.

"You can have a style of play and a way of playing, and a balance to the team, that... at Liverpool they find a way of playing that brings the best out of his attributes," said Southgate.

"And that’s what we're all trying to do with every team, you're trying to build a team that accentuates the positives, and within the group protects yourselves against how the opponents might come from you."

Phil Foden has been a revelation since breaking into Manchester City's first team and the Premier League champions are eager to reward him with a new deal.

The England midfielder is under contract under 2024, but City are set to keep in at the club for the long term.

TOP STORY – CITY REACH FODEN AGREEMENT FOR BUMPER DEAL

Manchester City and Foden have reached an agreement in principle on a £78million deal according to Football Insider.

The mega-money deal is worth around £250,000 per week for the 22-year-old, pushing him close to the money Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are earning.

The length of the contract is six years for the Stockport-born star, who came through the academy at City.

– Arsenal have moved on from Dusan Vlahovic , according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims the Gunners are not interested in re-visiting a potential move for the Serbian who joined Juventus in January.

– Manchester United will dangle a five-year contract for striker Marcus Rashford as they look to tie him down long term, reports The Express. Rashford's current deal expires at the end of this season.

– Calciomercato claims Alex Sandro will depart Juventus when his contract expires at the conclusion of this season. The Brazilian has previously attracted interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain .

– Romelu Lukaku has no plans to return to Chelsea when his season-long loan with Inter expires at the end of this season, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport.

– Chelsea are ready to pay £30million for Fulham's 17-year-old midfielder Luke Harris , claims The Mirror. Harris was called up to Wales' Nations League squad, but is yet to debut for the Cottagers.

– Liverpool and Arsenal are both considering a move next year for Villarreal's 21-year-old winger Alex Baena , reports the Daily Mirror.

Rafael Leao has plenty of admirers, having scored three goals in six Serie A appearances for Milan this term.

The 23-year-old provided an assist for Portugal's first goal in Saturday's 4-0 win in the Czech Republic.

The forward was voted the Serie A Most Valuable Player last season as the Rossoneri won the Scudetto.

TOP STORY – MILAN EAGER TO EXTEND RAFAEL LEAO DEAL

Milan have put forward an offer to tie down Manchester City and Chelsea target Rafael Leao on a new contract, reports Calciomercato.

The report claims that the Rossoneri are willing to increase his salary beyond the €2million he currently receives, up to €6.5m, as they look to fend off rival interest.

Milan understand that it may be difficult to convince the Portuguese to stay at the San Siro, although he is contracted until 2024.

ROUND-UP 

– Barcelona will cut their losses with Antoine Griezmann on a deal to sell him back to Atletico Madrid, according to Mundo Deportivo. The initial agreement included a purchase clause of €35-40m but Atletico have avoided triggering that, creating a stand-off. The Blaugrana are now prepared to lower their asking price with Atletico set to offer €25m in January.

– The Mirror claims Atletico are considering a move to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as Jan Oblak's successor, with the Slovenian out of contract at the end of this season.

– The race for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham's signature continues, with The Sun claiming Manchester City are confident they will beat Liverpool and Manchester United to him. It is understood Dortmund are willing to sell the 19-year-old for £83m.

– Manchester United are weighing up whether to move to extend goalkeeper David de Gea's contract another year, reports the Sunday Telegraph. The Spaniard is out of contract at the end of this season.

Virgil van Dijk acknowledges he has not performed to the best of his ability during a frustrating start to the season for Liverpool.  

Liverpool have taken just nine points from their first six matches of the Premier League season, their worst return since Jurgen Klopp took charge in 2015.

Postponements following the death of Queen Elizabeth II mean Liverpool have not played a domestic game since September 3, though they clinched a much-needed Champions League victory over Ajax last time out.

While Van Dijk has been an ever-present for the Reds this season, he has not always lived up to his reputation as steady defensive influence, most notably in a 4-1 thrashing at Napoli.

Speaking after the Netherlands posted a 2-0 Nations League win over Poland on Thursday, Van Dijk admitted he has been disappointed with his own displays.

"I know I could have done better in the beginning of the season. I'm not naive about that. I know very well when I make mistakes," Van Dijk said.

"I also know that I am one of the important players at the club and of course also here at the national team. I feel that responsibility.

"Mentally it's a challenge. You feel a lot of pressure on your head. A lot of people forget that too, it's not easy to do that. 

"We all try to show our best and if, in my case, you are one of the mainstays at the club, then you get the criticism you deserve. You have to deal with that and that is not always easy. But I did that just fine."

The Netherlands conclude their Nations League campaign against Belgium on Sunday, with Louis van Gaal's team needing to avoid defeat if they are to secure top spot in Group A4.