Liverpool trying to sign centre-back before transfer window closes
Liverpool are expected to try sign a new centre-back before the January window closes after growing increasingly concerned with the current state of their injury ravaged squad.
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are long-term absentees after picking up knee injuries earlier in the season, and their only other senior centre-back, Joel Matip, picked up yet another injury in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Tottenham.
Jurgen Klopp has also lost first reserve Fabinho to injury as well, meaning midfielder Jordan Henderson is likely to play alongside one of either Rhys Williams or Nat Phillips when Liverpool travel to face West Ham United on Sunday.
Despite their perilous situation, Liverpool have held firm and tried to avoid signing a stop-gap defender, but Klopp has now confirmed that club officials will work to sign a new player before February 1’s deadline.
“I don’t know but we will try,” Klopp said (via The Times). “Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, Liverpool is just fine with the situation and they don’t try.’ We try. The situation yesterday didn’t make it easier but it is just still we try to do the right things if that’s possible.
“My thoughts didn’t change, my words might have. No, it’s the same situation as before. We work on this, we don’t always have training and press conferences and if we don’t sleep, we work. That’s what we did all the time. We will see.”
However, Klopp quickly moved to cool expectations, warning fans that the chances of a new superstar heading to Anfield are incredibly slim.
“I am not sure there is an £80m centre back available at the moment and a club thinks, ‘We can get £80m for him so we will sell him.’ I don’t think that’s the case. Actually, pretty much I know. This calibre of player the teams would not sell them now,“ he added.
“We need to find the right player and one which suits our financial situation, that’s clear as well. It’s about a solution, that’s the first thing, and that’s what we are working on.”
A whole host of names have been linked with Liverpool, including Lille’s Sven Botman, Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi, Lens‘ Loic Balde and New York Red Bulls‘ Aaron Long.