James Pearce has claimed that it’s not guaranteed that Liverpool have made their last signing of the window but ‘senior Anfield figures’ are not expecting any more incomings.
The journalist, who writes for The Athletic, once again confirmed that midfield is the one area of the pitch that Jurgen Klopp wants to strengthen but only if the right player is available at the right price.
“With the window open for another two months, I don’t think anyone can say with any certainty that there will be no more incomings,” Pearce wrote in his Liverpool Mailbag.
“However, as things stand, senior Anfield figures have indicated that they don’t expect any further signings.
“Klopp is happy with what he’s got. Strengthening the midfield is obviously a hot topic of debate but unless they can recruit the right player at the right price they’ll wait until next summer to further bolster that department.”
Pearce also weighed in on the future of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
He struggled for game time last term and with just 12 months remaining on his current Liverpool deal, the club won’t prevent him from leaving if ‘an acceptable offer’ is received.
“As for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Liverpool won’t stand in his way if they receive an acceptable offer and he decides he wants to move on in search of regular game time elsewhere. The 28-year-old, who has a year left on his contract, is valued at around £10 million,” Pearce added.
“Oxlade-Chamberlain endured a difficult final few months of last season when he fell out of favour completely, but some of the contributions he made before that, especially during the Africa Cup of Nations, shouldn’t be forgotten. He played 29 times (17 starts) in 2021-22. Unless he pushes for a move, he will stay as a squad player.”
He certainly proved last term that he can come in handy when needed, but he may not settle for being a bit-part player.
The No. 15 has the ability to be a regular starter in the Premier League, but if we’re honest, we don’t think that’s at Anfield.
His contributions during the 2017/18 season when we reached the Champions League final were immense – he was a vital part of our midfield with the ability to beat a man and drive the team forward.
He’s been unfortunate with injuries since, but it’s hard to see where he fits into the side as a regular starter.
We’ve already signed Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay this summer, and at the moment it looks like it will be players leaving the club rather than joining during the remainder of the window.