Gerrard backs Jacquet to succeed Van Dijk as Salah hits 10 goal contributions in seven Trabzonspor games

Steven Gerrard has identified Jeremy Jacquet as the player to eventually fill Virgil van Dijk’s boots at Liverpool, while Mohamed Salah is rewriting Turkish Super Lig records in his debut season at Trabzonspor.

Gerrard backs Jacquet as Van Dijk’s long-term heir

With Van Dijk, 35, entering the final stretch of his Liverpool career — his contract expires at the end of this season — the club’s defensive future has become a pressing question. Gerrard believes the answer is already in the building.

“I love him, I’ve been very impressed with him from the opening pre-season friendlies,” Gerrard told SPORTbible of the former Rennes centre-back. “I think he’s got a composure and a fantastic profile and he can move. I think there’s still a bit of rawness about him. But I think there’s another level which he can get to and I think he’s going to be the perfect replacement for Virg in a year or two because he’s really helped solidify that back four.”

Jacquet has drawn praise since arriving at Anfield, and Gerrard’s endorsement will carry weight given his intimate knowledge of what the position demands at the highest level.

Salah breaks Turkish records at Trabzonspor

Nine years after joining Liverpool, Mohamed Salah mutually terminated his Anfield contract in the summer and began a new chapter at Trabzonspor. The early weeks were turbulent — an Europa League exit and the resignation of manager Fatih Tekke — but the Egyptian has since hit his stride emphatically.

Salah scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of Galatasaray before the international break, then contributed an assist in a 3-0 win over Samsunspor on Saturday to bring his tally to seven goals and three assists in just seven Super Lig appearances.

According to Opta, the 34-year-old is the first player to reach 10 goal contributions in the opening seven matches of a Turkish Super Lig season since records of that kind began in 2014/15 — a statistic that underlines just how seamlessly he has adapted to life in Turkey.

Liverpool’s attention turns to Europe

Back at Anfield, Liverpool have shifted focus to the Champions League following their clash with Manchester City. Arne Slot’s side got their European campaign off to a winning start with a comeback victory over Atlético Madrid, goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister securing the three points.

Next up domestically is a trip to Brentford on Saturday, with Andoni Iraola hoping to have Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo available after both missed the City fixture through injuries picked up on international duty.

Looking further ahead, the club are expected to be active in the coming transfer windows, with squad imbalances — particularly at left-back — likely to drive business in the months ahead.