Jurgen Klopp told journalists during Liverpool’s pre-Aston Villa press conference it was looking unlikely that the club would do business in the January transfer window.
Transfer speculation around the side has been rife following injuries sustained to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
“I cannot say definitely we will not bring in [a centre-back],” the former Dortmund told reporters. “It’s just not likely because of the situation in the world, so we should not forget that the situation is a tough one for all people and for football clubs as well.”
While Klopp’s latest statement is hardly the most encouraging sign for any possible transfers, though, at the very least, it’s worth noting that the German didn’t rule out the possibility entirely.
With Joel Matip proving largely unreliable in terms of maintaining fitness for a string of games, the club will likely face a centre-back pairing of Fabinho with either Rhys Williams or Nathaniel Phillips.
Concerningly, Jordan Henderson’s appearance in defence for our 1-0 loss at Southampton on Monday suggests that Klopp is prepared to draw from the midfield to fill in the gaps if necessary.
While the captain did a commendable job in the back four, it’s hardly a situation Liverpool want to get used to if we hope to retain the Premier League title this season.
We’ll go with whatever Klopp decides to do, but we remain hopeful of a suitable signing being identified.
You can catch the clip below:
Jurgen Klopp explains "it's just not likely" #LFC will sign a new centre-half because the owners are "very responsible" ❌ pic.twitter.com/d4wtSFkeQC
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) January 7, 2021