Amidst transfer rumors, Kevin De Bruyne admits to Liverpool while the Ballon d’Or winner is “leaked.”

Liverpool rivals round-up: the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or is reportedly known, and Kevin De Bruyne has been questioned about joining the Reds.

Liverpool has had one of the hardest schedules of any Premier League team thus far, but things are going to start looking up soon. The Reds have traveled to Chelsea, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Brighton & Hove Albion on their first four away games.
All four of these teams have a realistic chance of placing in the top six or higher this season.

Nevertheless, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Brentford, and Luton Town—Jürgen Klopp’s team’s next four opponents—all presently occupy positions 13 through 16 in the standings.
However, how does this run stack up against its rivals?

Arsenal, the league leader, will look to maintain its winning streak against Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Wolves, as well as win a London derby against former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will be the clear favorite for home games against Burnley, Sheffield United, and Chelsea. Manchester City’s difficult run of games—Brighton, Manchester United, and Chelsea—continues after its defeat to Arsenal prior to the international break.
However, a home match against Bournemouth may offer some relief.

In response to a question about a transfer to Liverpool, Kevin De Bruyne says no.

Despite acknowledging that he once supported Liverpool as a child, Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has ruled out a future move to the club (via Football Escapes).
As he answered questions from younger supporters, De Bruyne acknowledged that he had been a Reds fan “when he was young,” but when asked if he would sign with the team, he laughed and said, “No, no.”

According to Liverpool.com: Although signing De Bruyne was always going to be a pipe dream, Liverpool will be happy that Trent Alexander-Arnold is their own answer to the Belgian.

With his versatility as a right-back and midfielder, the 24-year-old plays a different position than De Bruyne, but he has already finished in the top three of the Premier League assist charts three times.
The two could easily be argued to be the best playmakers in the division, not in world football.

Lionel Messi ‘wins Ballon D’Or’ as missing Liverpool piece remains for Mohamed Salah

The Mirror reports that Lionel Messi has won the Ballon D’Or for a record-breaking eighth time, according to Spanish publication Sport.
Not until a ceremony on October 30 will the award be formally given out, but it appears that Messi has been notified of his victory already.

Messi scored seven goals in as many games, including two in the World Cup final against France, to lead Argentina to the tournament at the end of the previous year.
Nevertheless, he did quit playing in Europe in the summer to sign with Inter Miami of the Major League Soccer, where he was up against treble winners at Manchester City like De Bruyne and record-breaking Erling Haaland.

According to Liverpool.com: Mohamed Salah was the only player from Liverpool to make the list of nominees this time around, but it was never really possible for him to win.
Despite his outstanding individual performance, which included 30 goals and 16 assists across all competitions, the Reds had a terrible season, missing out on Champions League spots and losing every cup competition at the second round.
Given their individual and group accomplishments, it was always going to be between Messi, Haaland, and De Bruyne.

Three Premier League Golden Boots and two PFA Player of the Year awards are just two of Salah’s incredible array of individual achievements during his time at Anfield.
Though he is still lacking the Ballon d’Or, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have both had a strong hold on the trophy, are not in Europe, so he could have a good chance to win it next year.