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Liverpool actively avoided the summer transfer window frenzy, signing just one senior player in Italian forward Federico Chiesa . So, might that position change in the January window when it opens next week? Our experts analyse the likely activity for both incomings and outgoings. What positions will they be looking at in January? There is not one specific position Liverpool are looking to strengthen in January, since they will only enter the market if the right player and deal becomes available.
Liverpool targeted Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi in the summer before the 25-year-old turned them down. Signing a No 6 was the priority then and strengthening in midfield remains on the agenda, but the form of Ryan Gravenberch in that role has reduced the urgency. An extra body would help ease the burden on the 22-year-old, with Wataru Endo, 31, not suited to Slot’s style of play.
Left-back has become a talking point in recent months because of the inconsistent form of Andy Robertson. The 30-year-old, who has 18 months remaining on his contract, was sent off against Fulham and has made some uncharacteristic errors. Kostas Tsimikas’ return to fitness enables Slot to rotate as he did earlier in the season, and it is unlikely a third senior left-back would arrive next month without an outgoing.
Advertisement That position is more likely to be assessed in the summer when Liverpool will also consider their options at centre-back. What needs to be done in the transfer market in 2025 will be heavily influenced by the futures of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose deals expire at the end of this season. All three have received contract offers from the club, but who stays and who goes remains unclear.
Why could they be unlikely to do business? It is often difficult to find good value in the January window, but recent history has shown that if the right player becomes available at the right price, Liverpool will pounce. Cody Gakpo was on Liverpool’s list of targets for the summer of 2023 but when it emerged that PSV were willing to sell for £44million midway through the season, the club felt it was an opportunity they could not afford to miss. Injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota also contributed to that decision.
It was a similar story in January 2022 when Porto needed to generate cash and Liverpool knew they either had to move fast to land Diaz for £50m or miss out to Tottenham. Slot has repeatedly spoken about how happy he is with the depth of talent in the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp, and Liverpool are not in the habit of signing players for the sake of it. They will wait for their carefully selected targets to become available.
Defensive injuries have given Slot a selection headache in recent weeks because of the absences of Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley and Tsimikas. However, with that situation clearing, there is no desperate need to bring in reinforcements. Will they be looking to sell anyone? It’s unlikely.
Slot is happy with his squad and recent months have shown how a couple of injuries in the same area of the pitch can cause a headache. The head coach will not want to lose any players ahead of a busy second half of the season. Liverpool were unwilling to let Tyler Morton go out on loan in the summer and none of his suitors were willing to meet the club’s £20m asking price.
There will be interest in the 22-year-old again next month but, unless a midfielder is added, that stance is likely to remain unchanged. Advertisement It has been a tough first half of the season for the academy graduate – but his attitude and application in training have been second to none. Caoimhin Kelleher again showed his importance to Liverpool during Alisson’s two-month absence because of a hamstring injury.
The Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper wants to become a No 1, but that situation won’t be addressed until the summer. Will anyone move out on loan? Liverpool already have players out on loan: Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak, Owen Beck, Lewis Koumas, Kaide Gordon, Calvin Ramsay, Luca Stephenson, Rhys Williams, Nathaniel Phillips and Marcelo Pitaluga. Discussions are taking place about who might be recalled in January because of a lack of game time.
There is a decision to be made about Gordon, who has started only one Championship game for Norwich City in the first half of the season. The same goes for Ramsay, who has made only three starts in League One for Wigan Athletic. Bajcetic has had a difficult time at Red Bull Salzburg and it remains to be seen how the sacking of manager Pep Lijnders will impact his situation.
However, the Austrian club paid a hefty loan fee to secure his services for the full season. Two big success stories have been Doak (Middlesbrough) and Beck (Blackburn Rovers), and they are expected to stay put. Jayden Danns and James McConnell were both expected to leave on loan in the summer before injuries ruled out moves for them.
They have both since returned to action for the under-21s and regular senior football would be beneficial for their development if the right club can be found. Luke Chambers (Wigan Athletic) and Calum Scanlon (Millwall) saw their loan stints halted by back injuries earlier in the season and their rehab programmes are continuing at Liverpool. What moves have they made already? Liverpool’s long-term future-proofing began in the summer when they agreed a deal to sign 24-year-old goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia for £25m plus £4m in add-ons.
Given Alisson’s injury issues and Kelleher’s desire to become a No 1, Liverpool embarked on some succession planning and felt they secured a deal for one of Europe’s top young goalkeeping prospects for a reasonable fee. The Georgia international will join up with his new team-mates next summer. Youngsters out on loan are developing and building senior-level experience.
They will be given a chance during pre-season to prove they should be part of Slot’s future first-team plans, which will have an influence on transfer strategy. GO DEEPER Mamardashvili and a 'special power' that set him on the path to Liverpool Who will make the key decisions? As The Athletic reported this month , the key figure in transfer decision-making is sporting director Richard Hughes, who reports to Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football, Michael Edwards. Slot’s opinion will be sought, and nobody will be signed without him being amenable to the deal, but one of the reasons Liverpool wanted to appoint a head coach rather than a manager when Jurgen Klopp departed was to keep recruitment more compartmentalised.
Advertisement As ever with Liverpool’s deals, targets will be analysed through the club’s data department, headed by director of research Will Spearman . This will, however, be the first transfer window for more than a decade without Dave Fallows, who is leaving his role as director of scouting and recruitment at the end of December. (Top photos: Getty Images).
