New Liverpool signing Dominik Szoboszlai may have 'leaked' the identity of the club's new captain ahead of Jordan Henderson's impending departure.
Liverpool have now agreed a fee with Al Ettifaq to sell Henderson, who has already agreed personal terms on what has been described by The Athletic as a 'life-changing' contract offer.
The 33-year-old's exit will leave the Reds searching for his replacement as club captain.
Vice-captain James Milner has also left the club this summer, with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker among the other Liverpool stars to have worn the armband in the past.
Advert
And in a reply to one Liverpool star after their 4-2 friendly win over Karlsruher on Wednesday, Szoboszlai may have given a major hint as to who the new captain will be.
Szoboszlai 'leaks' Liverpool captain
Taking to Instagram after the match, Van Dijk posted a photo with the caption: "23/24 season underway.."
Among the respondents were Cody Gakpo, who scored Liverpool's equaliser to make it 2-2, while new signing Szoboszlai also liked the post.
In a separate post, in which Van Dijk commented, the Hungarian international responded with a symbol containing the letter C, which is used to highlight the captain on team sheets, and a thank you/prayer emoji.
Van Dijk took the armband for the friendly against Karlsruher, with many speculating that the decision could suggest he will indeed be named as the club captain.
Szoboszlai's message, therefore, could have simply related to the Dutchman wearing the armband in his first half appearance - but could also suggest that Reds players feel Van Dijk is the right man to succeed Henderson as club captain.
Liverpool have four more pre-season fixtures, taking place in Germany, Singapore and at Preston North End's Deepdale stadium, before the 2023/24 campaign gets underway.
And Klopp's decision over who to hand the armband to once Alisson and Salah are back in action could prove to be key, with the beginning of the Premier League season now only three weeks away.
Topics: Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool, Football
Ryan Smart