Liverpool Transfer Rumors: “Players Don’t Want To Join Liverpool” Claims Top Transfer Journalist
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Against all odds, Liverpool had demonstrated immense quality and mental strength to weather a horrible run of injuries and stand top of the Premier league at Christmas. However, the last few weeks have seen the Reds wobble under the strain, taking a mere two points of the last nine against primarily bottom half opposition.
With all three senior center backs in Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip out of commission with injuries, calls for defensive reinforcements have grown as the second week of the winter transfer window draws to a close.
The club have sought tamp down on recruitment expectations, as the ongoing financial uncertainty amidst the coronavirus pandemic continues to give the notably circumspect FSG ownership pause in splashing out on hasty transfers.
However, according to a top transfer source, journalist Fabrizio Romano, fiscal prudence is not the sole reason for the lack of transfer buzz around the league-topping Reds. Indeed, it is also the intense competition for places for the reigning Premier League champions and recent Champions League winners that can be seen a considerable factor in a player’s transfer decision.
“A lot of players now don’t want to join Liverpool [and just] play 5, 6, 7 matches, [before] the big ones are coming back from their injuries and then [the new signings] are on the bench for one season or more,” Romano told the Here We Go podcast.
“So, at the moment, Liverpool are still with the same idea: ‘We can stay with this team. If we have an opportunity, OK. If we don’t, we stay with this one’.”
Of course, this has been manager Jürgen Klopp’s stance from the day he arrived at Anfield, with the emergency drafting of Steven Caulker in the German’s first season at the club arguably the sole occasion in which a transfer was not been made to improve on the available options.
The summer’s recruitment drive was a case in point. While Diogo Jota was only beginning to establish himself at the international level for Portugal at the time he signed for Liverpool, both he and the Reds’ other major summer signing, Thiago Alcantara were immediately seen as significant upgrades in the backup attacker and first choice midfield departments respectively. Both the club and the two recruits would have backed themselves to make their mark on the first team squad in short order.
It is a state of that leaves Liverpool with a Catch-22 situation: the best players will of course welcome the competition for places; however those players tend to cost a lot more than the club appears willing to spend at the moment.
All the same, Liverpool supporters will be hoping that Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards are able to crack this particular puzzle and locate the cheap, confident young center back who can bolster the Reds’ title defense before matters get out of hand.
Liverpool transfer news and rumours: January transfer window 2021
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All the latest Liverpool transfer news, rumours and gossip in the 2021 winter window.
Will Liverpool sign a new centre-half after fresh Matip blow?
It’s perhaps the biggest question heading into the final days of the January transfer window: will Liverpool sign a new centre-back?
After Fabinho was ruled out with an injury before the game, the Premier League champions suffered another heavy injury blow during their 3-1 win at Tottenham when Joel Matip suffered ankle ligament damage.
“You can imagine that we think about everything,” said Jurgen Klopp. “Of course, we thought the whole time, we think the whole time, it’s about doing the right thing. I’m not picky or whatever, but we need to find the right player.”
1:26 Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for the performance from his Liverpool side against Tottenham as they suffered another defensive injury to Joel Matip
Klopp: No £80m centre-backs available
Liverpool are working hard on a solution to their defensive injury crisis but Jurgen Klopp has admitted it will be difficult.
“I’m not sure there’s an £80million centre-back available at the moment, or pretty much I know this. A player of this calibre, I’m not sure team would sell them now,” he added.
“We need to find the right player, that’s clear, and it needs to suit our financial situation. Everything is long-term, usually. It’s about solutions and that’s what we’re working on.”
Klopp added: “It’s funny that people might think that Liverpool are fine with this situation, that we don’t care and aren’t trying. We try, but there is nothing to say until something happens.
“The situation on Thursday [with Joel Matip] didn’t make things easier. We will try to do the right thing, if that is possible, we will do it, if not, we will not.
“It’s the same situation as before, we work on these things. We’re not always training or in press conferences, in the time in between we don’t sleep, we work. We’ve done that all the time so we will see.”
0:33 Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are looking for the ‘right player’ to help solves their defensive injury crisis but believes there are no £80m centre-backs for sale.
Jurgen Klopp says he discusses Liverpool transfer targets on a daily basis but he “cannot spend the money” as he hints at frustration over the club not strengthening his squad.
“Of course someone else is making the decisions, it was always like this,” Klopp said, when asked to clarify comments he made after the defeat to Burnley, where he implied he did not have the final say on bringing in reinforcements.
“If people are surprised about that, I cannot change that. The situation we have is we discuss on a daily basis.
“Could we improve something or not? I then make recommendations, but I cannot spend the money. I don’t make these decisions, I never did.”
Wijnaldum latest: ‘He wants to be paid what he’s worth’
Wijnaldum will snub Liverpool’s last-ditch efforts to keep him at the club - to fulfil a boyhood dream with Barcelona (Sunday Mirror, January 17); Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is confident of signing Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (Mundo Deportivo, January 15)
Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol told the Transfer Show (January 7):
“Klopp has to be very diplomatic. He is not going to start telling us exactly what is happening with the negotiations.
“What we do know is Wijnaldum wants to stay and Klopp also wants him to stay, but he is at the stage of his career where his contract runs out this summer and he knows big clubs in Italy and Barcelona are after him.
“And Liverpool also have to be careful in this economic climate when handing out contracts to players. What we are being told is a contract has been put in front of Wijnaldum, he has not signed it yet, he does not have to sign it, he is keeping his options open.
“But reading between the lines, Klopp wants him to stay. But as far as Wijnaldum is concerned, he needs to be paid what he believes he is worth.”
On January 7, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said of Wijnaldum’s contract stalemate: “There’s really nothing to say. I think I’ve said everything about how much I like the person and the player. That’s not good or bad news, that’s just how it is. If there is a decision, you will know it.”
The latest players linked with a move to Liverpool
Kylian Mbappe - PSG would consider selling the France World Cup winner if he fails to sign a new contract at the Parc des Princes, putting Liverpool and Real Madrid on alert (Marca, January 29); Liverpool are monitoring the PSG’s star’s contract situation. The French paper says Klopp’s side have been keen on the forward, whose deal runs out in 2022, “for many years” (L’Equipe, January 2).
Kaide Gordon - Liverpool are set to sign the 16-year-old Derby midfielder (Goal, January 29); Liverpool are winning the race for the Derby County forward in a deal worth more than £1m for the teenager (Daily Telegraph, January 25 and Mirror, January 26).
2:59 The Transfer Show discuss Jurgen Klopp’s comments that it will be difficult for Liverpool to sign a new centre back in this transfer window
Dayot Upamecano - Thomas Tuchel’s appointment at Chelsea could cost Manchester United and Liverpool in their bid to sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano (Daily Express, January 27).
United will go head-to-head with Liverpool for RB Leipzig’s brilliant young defender (Mirror, January 23); RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has opened the door to a possible transfer for the centre-back after insisting the Bundesliga club will always consider selling their assets for the right price (SportBild, January 10).
David Alaba - Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp continues to covet Alaba and has urged Anfield chiefs to keep pace in the race for the Bayern Munich star. (Mirror, January 26); Real Madrid have offered Alaba a lucrative contract to join the club - but the Bayern Munich defender is yet to make a decision on his future (Sky Germany, January 19); The defender has snubbed a move to the Premier League after reportedly agreeing a move to Real Madrid (Mirror, January 19); Liverpool have reportedly offered Alaba a £9m-a-year contract to beat Real Madrid to his transfer (Daily Express, January 7); Liverpool have made a last-ditch bid to hijack Real Madrid’s move for Alaba on a free transfer, according to reports (The Sun, January 6).
Jamal Musiala - Liverpool and Manchester United have suffered a transfer blow after Bayern Munich reportedly made progress in tying Jamal Musiala down to a new contract (Daily Mail, January 23); Liverpool and United are paying close attention to contract negotiations concerning the Bayern youngster after talks seemed to reach deadlock (Goal, January 22).
Adama Traore - Liverpool will need to fend off interest from Man City and Leeds United in order to land the Wolves star (Mirror, January 18); Liverpool have not ruled out the possibility of signing the Wolves winger in the near future, according to reports (Daily Express, January 16)
Ben White - Liverpool are planning a summer move for Brighton defender White (Liverpool Echo, January 15)
Rodrigo De Paul - Liverpool are preparing for the exit of Wijnaldum and have eyed Udinese midfield star De Paul to fill in his shoes (Daily Express, January 14)
Kalidou Koulibaly - Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has warned Manchester United and Liverpool they must offer at least £100m if they want to sign Koulibaly this month (The Sun, January 13)
Sokratis Papastathopoulos - Liverpool have been offered the chance to sign Arsenal outcast Sokratis Papastathopoulos amid their defensive injury crisis (Daily Star, January 15)
Image: Sergio Ramos’ contract at Real Madrid expires in the summer
Sergio Ramos - Liverpool are eyeing a move for Ramos on a free transfer at the end of the season (Daily Star, January 8).
Patson Daka - The Manchester United and Liverpool target wants to emulate fellow African stars Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane by becoming a hit in the Premier League (Daily Mail, January 7).
Gleison Bremer - The 23-year-old Brazilian defender currently playing at Torino is also attracting interest from the Reds, according to reports in Italy (Tuttosport, January 3).
Sven Botman - Botman is not a Liverpool target in January - despite links reporting the 20-year-old Schalke defender is wanted to add to the Reds’ injury-hit defence (January 4); Liverpool are reportedly in talks with Lille over a potential January move for central defender (Transfer Window Podcast via Daily Star, January 4).
Maximilian Wober - Jurgen Klopp’s search for a centre-back to help fill the void left by long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez has seen him add the Red Bull Salzburg man to his apparent wishlist (Eurosport, January 1).
Confirmed Liverpool signings
Deals will be confirmed here.
The latest players linked with a Liverpool exit
Sepp van den Berg - Liverpool are set to allow Van den Berg to leave the club on loan this month, despite a defensive injury crisis threatening to derail their title challenge (Daily Star, January 11).
Xherdan Shaqiri - The forward is likely to stay at Anfield until the end of the season as the club feels their hands are tied due to the coronavirus pandemic (Daily Star, January 6).
Georginio Wijnaldum - Talks over a new contract between the midfielder and Liverpool have reached a stalemate. A long-standing offer of a new deal remains on the table. But for now, the 30-year old Netherlands midfielder has not accepted it. Ronald Koeman remains keen to sign his compatriot, but as yet, that interest has not progressed into an official offer from Barca to either the player or Liverpool (Sky Sports News, January 6).
Image: Georginio Wijnaldum’s contract at Liverpool expires in the summer
Barcelona’s top three transfer targets are Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum, Manchester City centre-back Eric Garcia and Lyon forward Memphis Depay (Sky Sports News, January 4); Wijnaldum will be a free agent at Liverpool this summer which has reportedly left Anfield officials “stunned” (Daily Express, January 5).
Mohamed Salah - Fabinho believes Liverpool team-mate Salah is happy at Anfield despite recent speculation linking him with a move away from Anfield (Daily Star, January 14); The Liverpool forward fuelled speculation about his long-term future when he admitted admiration for Barcelona and Real Madrid in a recent interview in Spain, calling them “two top clubs” (AS, December 19).
Confirmed Liverpool departures
Deals will be confirmed here.
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The latest Liverpool contract news
Georginio Wijnaldum - The midfielder will snub Liverpool’s last-ditch efforts to keep him at the club - to fulfil a boyhood dream with Barcelona (Sunday Mirror, January 17); The Liverpool midfielder is now free to speak to foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement. Ronald Koeman is hopeful of bringing his fellow Dutchman to Barcelona but Jurgen Klopp is pushing to Wijnaldum to stay (Sky Sports News, December 28).
Mohamed Salah - Liverpool are said to have other priorities before agreeing a new contract for their star Egypt forward (Daily Star, January 9).
Liverpool Transfer Rumour: Mbappe Keen On Liverpool Move
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While PSG star Kylian Mbappe considers his future, the rumors around a possible Liverpool move continue to circulate. This time, it’s said that the French international would be willing to consider a move to Anfield as a possible option.
Whether this is true or a negotiation tactic by his team to get a nice, fat raise from PSG remains to be seen. Considering Liverpool’s problems in front of goal over the last month or so, a player of Mbappe’s quality coming in to add some extra flair would be a dream right now.
The Reds have competition in the form for Real Madrid, reportedly his dream move, where the player has also expressed interest in serving under manager Zinedine Zidane.
However, even if Mbappe is truly interested in a move to the English champions, he would cost a very steep price, one that Liverpool don’t seem like they’re in the position to pay at the moment.
The financial catastrophe of Covid-19 has hit every business, and football is no exception. A contract extension at PSG might be the only viable choice for Mbappe this year, but he is clearly keeping all of his options open as we get closer to spring.