Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp look likely to have a quiet end to the January transfer window but there are still some deals which the Anfield club would be wise to consider
The January transfer window has been especially quiet for several Premier League clubs, particularly Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp is renowned for only going into the market in the winter window when it’s deemed absolutely necessary. The past four January windows have seen at least one new signing arrive at Anfield, but that may change this year.
Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Virgil van Dijk are examples of statement additions Liverpool have sanctioned in January in the Klopp era. Despite the lack of new signings arriving on Merseyside thus far this year, there have been continued rumours of potential reinforcements being added to the squad.
As a result, the ECHO has taken a look at what business Liverpool should do before the January transfer window closes on February 1.
New centre-back arrival
In the summer, the majority of the transfer talk centred around Liverpool signing new midfielders. Klopp brought in Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister as part of the midfield revamp.
The defence could be the next area of the squad to benefit from fresh additions. One rumour has seen the Reds linked with Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio.
Liverpool were linked with the centre-back during the summer window. Inacio signed a new contract with the Portuguese club that saw his release clause increase from €45 million (£38.6 million) to €60 million (£51.5 million).
Liverpool are not the only club to be credited with an interest. Newcastle, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all been mentioned, according to O Jogo. While a quiet end to the transfer window is what many expect on Merseyside, the idea of signing a new defender could be something that Klopp and Co consider if the deal is right. And given Inacio has a release clause, negotiations could be relatively smooth should it match Liverpool’s valuation of the player.
While attention in January is mostly focused on either players arriving or current members of the squad leaving, there’s another area of the business that is just as vital – contract negotiations. Liverpool have three players who are out of contract this summer in Adrian, Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara, and it remains to be seen if they will be offered extensions.
It’s in 2025, though, that more players see deals expire. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Nat Phillips have all entered the final 18 months of their current deals.
While Phillips’ long-term future is unlikely to be at Anfield, it’s not the same for the other three. Liverpool would be wise to look at offering Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk new deals in the coming weeks to not let speculation begin around their future on Merseyside.
Salah is away on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. When the 31-year-old returns to Merseyside, though, the club could – at the very least – begin thinking about what the future of their star forward holds, as well as Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk, ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
