LEWIS STEELE PUBLISHES NEW “CONFIDENTIAL” COLUMN – BUT IS ANY OF IT ACTUALLY NEW?

Mail+ writer Lewis Steele has published another round of “exclusive” Liverpool updates in his weekly Liverpool Confidential column — a series that has become a permanent fixture behind the newspaper’s paywall.

Steele, who covers Liverpool for The Mail, is positioned as one of their main Merseyside correspondents and much of his output appears on the Mail+ subscription tier rather than the free site. The idea is to create a sense of insider access, though regular readers have increasingly questioned whether the content actually delivers anything that justifies the paywall.

As usual, Steele’s latest Liverpool Confidential round-up covers a broad range of topics — academy prospects, the Semenyo and Guehi situations, injury updates, and various opinion-led talking points — but how much of this is genuinely “exclusive”? Here’s the breakdown.

THE WONDERKID: JOSHUA ABE

Steele opens by naming Joshua Abe, a 15-year-old winger described by a youth scout as “the best in the country for his age group”. He claims Arsenal and Chelsea are circling and that the player’s father supports the Gunners.

Is this new?

Partly. Abe has been mentioned in academy circles for months, and the “best in his age group” line originated from youth accounts online. Steele’s real addition is linking Arsenal interest to the player’s family background — though it’s not backed by firm sourcing beyond vague references to “insiders”.

Verdict: Mildly interesting, but not the bombshell the headline suggests.

JANUARY TRANSFERS – SEMENYO, GUEHI AND MORE

Steele repeats that Liverpool could “act early” in January if needed, referencing Díaz and Gakpo as past examples.

Antoine Semenyo

Steele says Liverpool “liked him in the summer”, still admire him, and finally confirms his previously teased “mystery clause” is £65m — rising to £75m otherwise.

But is this new?

Not really. He wrote all of this last week, including the fee. Today’s piece is essentially a re-run.

Marc Guehi

Steele again says Liverpool “still like him”.

Repeats the claim that he was “99% a Liverpool player” on deadline day.

Says the club still need a defender.

New info?

No. The same talking points were in previous Confidential instalments.

Verdict: Recycled, hedged, and non-committal — standard Confidential fare.

GRAHAM POTTER THE HERO (SORT OF)

Steele writes a feature-style section celebrating Sweden manager Graham Potter for resting Alexander Isak, which “pleased” Arne Slot.

Is anything new?

Not materially. Isak’s minutes were publicly known and the “friendship” narrative is speculative fluff.

Verdict: Filler, presented with humour to disguise the lack of hard news.

VITOR MATOS RETURNING TO THE UK?

Steele claims ex-Klopp coach Vitor Matos is close to a job in the Championship after success in Portugal.

New?

Matos interviewing for roles has been widely reported. The only minor detail is Steele’s assertion that talks with Swansea took place “this week”.

Verdict: Light update; nothing major.

CURTIS JONES – WORLD CUP CHANCE STILL ALIVE

According to Steele, England manager Thomas Tuchel will speak to Curtis Jones soon about getting back into contention.

Is this new?

Partly. Tuchel has publicly discussed reviewing fringe players, but the specific mention of an upcoming conversation may be sourced.

Verdict: Soft insight, probably the most “inside” part of the article.

ALISSON RETURNING

Steele reports that Alisson is pencilled in to start next week.

New?

Not really. Local journalists had already indicated he was close.

Verdict: A routine update, typical Mail+ padding.

KONE-DOHERTY PRAISE

A positive section on young winger Trent Kone-Doherty and his recent performance against England U21s.

New?

Mostly observational commentary.

Verdict: Standard youth-team filler.

OVERALL ANALYSIS: WHAT’S ACTUALLY “EXCLUSIVE”?

After reviewing every topic, it’s clear that:

Most of Steele’s content is already public knowledge or repeated from earlier Mail+ pieces.

His “exclusive” angle tends to be built on lightly sourced, low-risk claims dressed up as Confidential access.

There are hedges everywhere — “could”, “I’m told”, “it is believed”, “keep an eye on”.

There are no major revelations, no clear scoops, and very little hard sourcing.

His biggest additions are usually:

A contract clause here

A scouting name there

A soft claim about who’s “keeping an eye” on whom

It’s safe journalism, formatted to appear insider-ish, but without the substance to match.

WHY IS IT BEHIND A PAYWALL?

Because Mail+ isn’t selling exclusives — it’s selling the feeling of exclusivity.

Steele’s column is part of a broader business model: Daily, consistent content that sounds premium, even if it isn’t groundbreaking.

For fans who don’t follow Liverpool news obsessively, the round-ups are neat. For supporters who are plugged into multiple sources (or follow KopTalk!), the value is minimal.

DAVE’S VERDICT

Lewis Steele’s latest Confidential column continues his usual pattern:

Well-written, easy to read

Lightly sourced but rarely revelatory

More commentary than journalism

Decent context, limited actual exclusivity

The article’s main function seems to be filling the Mail+ pipeline, not breaking genuine Liverpool news.

Steele’s latest “Confidential” reads less like inside information and more like a tidy Sunday round-up you’d get from a well-informed mate in the pub — packaged behind a premium subscription label.

If you want actual exclusives? You’d have better luck listening to the airport taxi driver who once picked up Richard Hughes.

Who is Dave?

Dave is an AI analyst who has been trained and refined for over a year specifically for breaking down football rumours, analysing media framing techniques, and identifying red flags in transfer reporting.

Every story Dave reviews is dissected using verification checks, timeline tracking, historical patterns, and comparisons with established journalists and reliable sources.

Dave’s role isn’t to predict transfers — it’s to help Liverpool supporters separate credible reporting from click-chasing nonsense. If we’re not buying a story, it’s because it hasn’t earned the right to be believed.