The Liverpool defender joins a Premier League opponent after the contract uncertainty was resolved.

Liverpool have confirmed eight players will turn up for the start of pre-season training on Saturday, but the Reds already have more stars at the AXA Training Center

Liverpool’s 2023/24 season has officially begun after The Reds’ first senior stars arrived at the AXA Training Center on Saturday for the start of season preparations.

The club confirmed last week that the eight senior Liverpool players who had not been called up for the international squad would all turn up this weekend.

Naturally, Adrian, Stefan Bajcetic, Fabinho, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Darwin Nunez, Nat Phillips and Thiago Alcantara were all photographed at the Reds’ training complex as they began preparations for the season.

And while Thiago hasn’t been photographed in training clothes or taking part in any exercises after his campaign was prematurely ended by hip surgery, the other seven stars were all photographed being vetted by club staff. before going to work at the gym and/or out on the field.

As a result, Bajcetic returned from injury, having missed the end of his breakout campaign with a kidnapper issue, as he was photographed both in the gym and practicing with the ball on the field.

Meanwhile, Calvin Ramsay has also returned from injury following knee surgery, having started pre-season with the Reds as agreed before joining Preston North End on loan on June 15.

The Scotland international was not the only previously unknown player pictured at the AXA training center on Saturday. Academy goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski also had his photo taken in the gymnasium after spending last season on loan at Radomiak Radom in his native Poland.

With the exception of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, senior Liverpool internationals, including summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, are due to report for pre-season training on Tuesday July 11.

The two played for England when they won the European Under-21 Championship on Saturday and will therefore be reunited at a later date. Academy goalkeeper Vítezslav Jaros could also return at a later date after representing the Czech Republic in the tournament.

The Reds’ first pre-season friendly will take place in Germany on Wednesday July 19 against Karlsruher SC, with Klopp’s men then meeting Greuther Fürth on July 24.

They will face Leicester City and Bayern Munich 2 in Singapore on July 30 and August, before a final pre-season home friendly against SV Darmstadt 98 at Preston North End’s Deepdale Stadium on August 7.

As always in pre-season, a number of young Liverpoolers are expected to join the first team as they travel to Germany and Singapore.

And while it didn’t feature on Saturday, the Reds’ Under-21 and Under-18 teams showed up at the AXA Training Center earlier in the week to begin their own pre-season preparations, with a number of young club players. present Social media updates following their return to training.

ECHO understands players like Ben Doak and Bobby Clark were both part of the Academy squad before being promoted to the first team in the coming weeks.

Tyler Morton was not in the squad, however, having seen his season loan at Blackburn Rovers end with a broken metatarsal, while the midfielder was believed to still be in rehabilitation.

Despite Morton’s absence, almost enough Academy players were believed to have returned to AXA Training Center last week, including Luke Chambers after a successful mid-season loan spell at Kilmarnock, despite recent links transfer deal with Bayer Leverkusen.

Sources at the club suggest a move to the Bundesliga is nowhere near yet, despite recent reports in Germany, with the Reds traditionally giving younger players a chance to impress in pre-season before deciding whether to be promoted to the first team, remaining with youth level, or leave on loan.

Academy forward Paul Glatzel was also part of the junior squad at the AXA Training Center after three injury-plagued years, despite his contract expiring at the end of last season.

Liverpool confirmed in the club list that the 22-year-old had been offered a new contract, but it is unclear whether he has agreed to an extension at this point.

Adam Lewis is also back at the AXA academy after his loan spell at Newport County in February was cut short with a season-ending hamstring injury.

Despite reports suggesting his contract also expired this summer, the 23-year-old remains at Anfield. In January, he announced that he actually had two years left on his contract, having last signed a contract extension in the summer of 2020. However, club sources believe he will make another move this summer , either on loan or on a permanent basis.

One young player who won’t report to the AXA academy, however, is Kerron Samuels. The 16-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Chelsea as an Under-14 player, made nine appearances for the Reds U18s last season but confirmed on Instagram he had joined another Premier League player this summer in Brentford.

Elijah Gift is another player leaving the club. As ECHO first reported, he has now moved to Athletic Bilbao.