Training Ground Reconciliation

Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas were all smiles as they stepped out at Chicago Fire's training ground for Liverpool's opening training session on Friday. The friendly atmosphere showed no signs of the bad blood that erupted just 36 hours earlier at New York's Yankee Stadium.

The trio chatted and knocked a ball around as they waited for the start of the session, demonstrating that differences had been quickly resolved following their very public spat after Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Wrexham.

The Armband Incident

Jones had cut an agitated figure when he made a beeline for Szoboszlai after the Wrexham match. Their heated exchange on the field lasted more than two minutes, with Jones unhappy that Szoboszlai had given the captain's armband to Tsimikas rather than him when the Hungary midfielder was substituted 13 minutes from time.

Tsimikas, who returned to the club this summer after a season-long loan spell at Roma, joined Szoboszlai in trying to placate the angry Liverpool academy graduate during the subsequent lap of honour but to no avail. At one point, the Greece international took off the armband and dropped it to the turf in frustration, with Jones picking it up.

The footage filmed by supporters in the stands soon went viral online, creating an awkward situation for the club during their pre-season tour of the United States.

Club Sources Downplay Incident

Szoboszlai neatly side-stepped questions about the incident during Thursday's press conference in Chicago. "A couple of guys have left and maybe we are not the oldest in the team, but we've been here a long time and we all want the best for the club and for each other," he said. "We have a captain in Virgil van Dijk, and we will follow him everywhere with what he and the gaffer say."

Senior club sources, speaking anonymously to protect their position, insist that what happened at Yankee Stadium was the kind of altercation that frequently happens in an elite environment, but they usually take place within the sanctity of the dressing room. They say that differences were quickly resolved and Friday's show of unity on the training field backs that up.

Inter Milan Renew Pursuit

However, the fact that emotions were running so high over who was captain for the closing minutes of a pre-season friendly against Championship opposition speaks volumes about where Jones is at right now. Uncertainty over his future continues to rumble on.

Inter Milan have renewed their pursuit of the 25-year-old midfielder. Having had a €25 million (£21.7m; $28.7m) bid rejected in June, the Serie A champions have now indicated via intermediaries that they are willing to pay €35 million for Jones.

Given that Liverpool value him at around €40 million, it looks increasingly likely that a compromise will be reached. Inside the final year of his contract and with no progress made on an extension, parting ways makes sense for all parties.

Jones, who was part of the England set-up before being cast aside by Thomas Tuchel last November, wants to be regarded as one of the leading lights rather than a decent squad player. He has made 228 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions since breaking into the senior squad in 2019, but 89 (nearly 40 per cent) of those have come off the bench.

Vice-Captaincy Decision Pending

Clearly, Jones regarded it as a slight being overlooked for Tsimikas when Szoboszlai was substituted in New York. Tsimikas had also worn the armband in the opening friendly against Sunderland in Nashville after stand-in skipper Joe Gomez gave it to him as he limped off.

Head coach Andoni Iraola said last week he had yet to decide who to appoint as the new vice-captain following the departure of Andy Robertson. Given that the Basque coach also said "you don't need an armband to be a leader", it's fair to assume that he will have been as baffled as everyone else by the furore in New York.

Szoboszlai is the firm favourite to be confirmed as Van Dijk's deputy and, in the absence of their Dutch talisman, the former RB Leipzig midfielder has stepped up impressively during the tour of the United States. He has been a source of advice and support for the youngsters on the trip and has set the standards on a daily basis in training.

Intense Training Session

Friday's training session was watched by around 200 VIP guests, along with Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon, who recently resumed oversight of Liverpool's day-to-day operations following the exit of FSG CEO of football Michael Edwards.

After the warm-up, the squad were divided into three groups for passing rondos overseen by Iraola and his first-team coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper. The intensity was relentless, with assistant coach Pablo de la Torre blowing his whistle to make players sprint to the far end of the pitch and back before the rondos resumed.

"Quicker, quicker," Iraola shouted at one stage as he continues to make every day count in terms of getting his ideas across. With calm now returned since tempers frayed in New York, the Liverpool manager can focus on preparing his squad for the upcoming campaign.