Jurgen Klopp continued to supply hints FSG’s way regarding potential further investment in the January transfer window, though was keen to remind reporters of Liverpool’s injured stars.
The German tactician is still without Bobby Firmino, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, Arthur Melo, Virgil van Dijk, and Luis Diaz (Stefan Bajcetic and James Milner appear set to return to full action soon) and questioned whether it was the right time to continue strengthening the squad in comments relayed on Twitter by Paul Gorst.
Klopp: "We look outside [to transfers] as well. It's not that we're stubborn ad we keep these boys until 2060. It's all about what you can do and want to do and each year is the same. Each press conference someone asks you to ask me about transfers during the window."
— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) January 16, 2023
Klopp: "If the solution was there and available then we would do it but I cannot sit here and blame everything else. We have players with contracts who just aren't available. If they were it would be a different situation. We have to strengthen but is now the right moment?"
— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) January 16, 2023
Put all together and taking into account the Brazilian midfielder’s £3.9m loan fee, that’s a collective value of $305.1m worth of talent [£250.4m/€282.2m] currently unavailable for selection.
As such, it does add some serious credibility to the manager’s complaints ahead of the halfway mark in the league campaign.
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Equally, of course, we’d be foolish to overlook the stark reality that Liverpool’s current needs lie in reinforcing the middle of the park.
There’s clearly a more than competent player in Arthur, though we simply haven’t had a good enough opportunity to see if he could be the difference-maker for the remainder of the term.
Regardless, on current evidence, it’s becoming increasingly clear that whilst having an energetic pair of legs in the midfield department would help matters, it would far from resolve the struggles we’re experiencing.
A complete overhaul will be required in the summer window – a task made all the more difficult should we fail to reap the benefits of re-securing Champions League status.
That’s not to say that having names like Jota and the electric presence of Diaz back in contention for minutes also won’t help matters, it’s just not the solution we’re so desperately crying out for at the moment.
Here we go again, same old, same old, players under contracts aren’t available when we want them. So do what Liverpool of old did, upgrade the playing staff with a player or two each year, not to fit into the team immediately but once they’re comfortable with how Liverpool play. The current method of firefighting, buying when they’re desperately needed is too late. Last season’s success blinded everybody to the fact that against Real Madrid and in the latter stages of the Premier League, the Midfield players didn’t have the legs any more. As good as Elliot and Carvalho are, they’re just not ready for the Premier League, the former thinks he has to do everything, the latter is too lightweight so easily knocked off the ball. Buy players ready for the Premier League who will be ready to play the Liverpool way after training with them for a month or two.