For all that injuries have taken their toll on Jurgen Klopp’s side Liverpool remain well-placed to achieve success with what they have. Although since a 2-1 win over Tottenham sent them top of the Premier League they’ve dropped points in three straight matches to leave them in a tight title race, they’ve reached the knockout stages of the Champions League with relative ease.
Meanwhile their recruitment from the summer is already paying dividend. Injuries have disrupted Thiago Alcantara’s start to life on Merseyside but Diogo Jota made a swift mark after joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring nine goals in 17 games.
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Fabrizio Romano’s take on Liverpool
Despite many injuries, the club does not want any “panic buy” in January. If there is a right opportunity in defense, a new signing will be considered, otherwise Klopp agrees to stay with this team and think about new business only in the summer. An appreciated name is always the Schalke defender Ozan Kabak but no offer has been made yet.
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Player(s) Liverpool should target
Liverpool have one of the best central defensive pairings in the Premier League, perhaps even Europe. The problem is they won’t be able to deploy it for much of the rest of this season even if Fabinho’s presence has made it rather less of a pressing issue. Eventually Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk will be available to them again and it will take quite the player to overhaul that duo.
Perhaps a more long-term option to eventually succeed Van Dijk, 30 in July, such as Kabak could allow Liverpool to thread the needle. With the defensive options they have now – Fabinho, Joel Matip, Nathaniel Philipps and Rhys Williams – Klopp would like to hold firm. The extent of Matip’s injury, suffered against West Bromwich Albion, might change that.
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Another position that could be kept on the backburner until the summer will be central midfield. So far Georginio Wijnaldum, a summer target for Barcelona, has not agreed to extend a contract that expires at the end of the season. Renato Sanches of Lille has been linked as a cut price alternative but indications from Anfield are that he is not an active target. Should a potential summer successor for Wijnaldum become available next month than Liverpool may move.
Player(s) most likely to leave
Wijnaldum is the most significant potential departure on the horizon from a squad that is extremely settled and has little reason to want to go elsewhere.
Some business may happen on the fringes with the likes of Divock Origi available at the right price. The Belgian has found opportunities for regular game time even harder to come by since the arrival of Diogo Jota and purged his social media of any reference to Liverpool just before Christmas. He has consistently been linked with a move to Germany and is of interest to Wolverhampton Wanderers. At 25, with 18 months left on his contract, he is unlikely to increase in value in his current role.
Transfer prediction for Liverpool
When you’re primed to repeat as English champions and could be well placed for a tilt at the Champions League, particularly if one or both of Van Dijk and Gomez return, why would you mess with a winning formula? Right now any addition at center back could well be dependent on the fitness of Joel Matip.
Origi may bring an end to his six-and-a-half year stay with Liverpool but this is unlikely to be a turbulent winter at Anfield.