Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp drops January transfer hint despite backing academy stars

Liverpool are expected to delve into the January transfer market in search of defensive reinforcements.

Posted Saturday, November 21, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp drops January transfer hint despite backing academy stars
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted the Reds will explore the January transfer market (Image: GETTY)

Jurgen Klopp has revealed Liverpool will look at potential options in the January transfer market to solve their defensive crisis. The Reds boss refused to rule out signing a replacement for Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, should the Premier League champions struggle in their absence between now and the New Year.

Klopp is under no illusions that Liverpool have a tricky six weeks to navigate before then, with league and European matches coming thick and fast.

Liverpool were rocked with yet another devastating blow last week, when Gomez suffered a serious knee injury in England training.

The 23-year-old has since undergone successful surgery like fellow centre-back partner Van Dijk and the pair remain unlikely to play again this season.

Klopp has now conceded that the club may have to flex their muscle in the market in order to continue challenging on all fronts.

"We will see. I don't know what we can do in January. I have no idea," Klopp said ahead of the visit of Leicester.

"That we look for solutions and the transfer market - that is clear. But in the moment we have the situation we have.

"If we can do something in January I have no idea. If we want to do something in January I have no idea. We'll just have to see.”

Klopp has been in this position before though during his time at Borussia Dortmund, when he was forced to call upon two of the club's youngest centre-backs.

What followed was one of the finest pairings in world football, as Klopp explained: “I don't want to compare situations but when I came to Dortmund in 2008, my two centre-halves were 19 and turned 20 that winter, and we played with them for that entire time. Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic.

"We have talent here. They are young - 18, 19, 23 - and we have more experienced players, so we will see. Now everybody has a chance. What we do in January I have no idea - If we can do something in January I have no idea.

"We'll just have to see. But these are the situations we have in this moment, we use the boys we have… and for the moment we are fine.”

Klopp is relishing the challenge ahead and has shown on several occasions during his Liverpool tenure that he can find solutions from within his squad.

The emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold only came about after the Reds decided against signing additional cover for Nathaniel Clyne.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp drops January transfer hint despite backing academy stars
Liverpool have been boosted by Fabinho's return to full training (Image: GETTY)

Fellow academy stars Curtis Jones and Neco Williams have already made a huge impression behind the scenes and now the likes of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams are aspiring to follow in their footsteps.

"We speak constantly about injuries, but I am all about the chance they have now,” Klopp said, paying tribute to the club's young players.

"I am really happy, even though it's not easy for me to be happy in these press conferences because it is always about injuries. But you should see them in training. They can smell the chance and they step up.

"They want to show they are ready and that’s good and we will see. I'm really confident it will work out with the boys and then hopefully we can convince the rest of the world as well.”