Arne Slot says he and Liverpool’s transfer staff are in “discussions every day” regarding possible targets and are ready “if there will be a chance in the market.”
With just under a month to go until the January transfer window it is only right to expect discourse to turn to potential incomings and outgoings at Anfield.
Asked about his plans for the transfer window on Tuesday, Slot said that the club have “always shown that they are going for it” if the right deal is available.
After a quiet summer it may be wise to expect little in terms of business in January, but injuries to Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas have stretched Slot’s defence.
However, he did suggest that Liverpool’s absent trio are all expected back around the start of January, relieving any urgent need for defensive reinforcements.
“We are having discussions every day, no matter if there is a window coming up or not,” he told reporters at the AXA Training Centre.
“We always talk about the team, which players we like, which players are maybe not in the best place – fortunately we talk more about the ones who do well, because almost all of them do really well.
“And yeah, it is a bit of a worry that three defenders are out at the moment, but the good thing is when the window opens, the defenders are back.
“I said many times at the beginning of the season, I’m so, so happy with the squad we have.
“That’s not to say that if there will be a chance in the market [we won’t sign anyone].
“This club has always shown that they are going for it. That’s also what we did with the goalkeeper [Giorgi Mamardashvili] who’s not even with us at the moment, but we felt it was a chance for us to do it.
“So that is what this club is known for and these people like Richard [Hughes] and Michael Edwards are known for.
“We are mainly focused now on Newcastle and Everton and all these nine games that are coming up.
“But it’s normal that we also have conversations about our squad and what we can expect, can we something change, yes or no, which are the chances in the market.”
Should Liverpool be active in January?
At a crucial stage in a campaign that has seen Liverpool become favourites in the Premier League and arguably the Champions League, January could be seen as a chance to strike while the iron is hot.
The Reds’ last mid-season signing was Cody Gakpo in 2023, with the arrivals of Luis Diaz (2022), Takumi Minamino (2020) and, going back further, Virgil van Dijk (2018), showing the club are not averse to winter deals.
Clearly, that depends on the availability of certain targets – say, for example, Martin Zubimendi, who per The Athletic‘s David Ornstein is “now coming to terms with the idea of leaving Real Sociedad.”
But it could certainly be a chance for Liverpool to strengthen if possible, with left-back, midfield and right wing seen as their long-term priority positions.
