ECHO writers debate what Liverpool should be looking to do as the January transfer window approaches
The January transfer window is now firmly in view for Premier League clubs in need for some mid-season surgery on their squads.
Liverpool have a superb history of bringing in quality at the midway point of the campaign with players like Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and Virgil van Dijk all signed in the winter window between the years of 2012 and 2018.
More recently, the likes of Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz have given the Reds a mid-season lift and they are once more being linked with a number of players as they aim to improve after a difficult few months that sees them 10 points off top spot heading into 2026.
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Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi are two players who have been linked but will Liverpool be giving the green light to a pursuit of a new addition having spent as much as £440m in the summer?
Our ECHO writers have their say on where Arne Slot and his staff should be looking to prioritise as they look to firm up their place inside the top four in the second half of the campaign.
Paul Gorst
Despite the clamour to sign Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause in his Bournemouth contract which has seen the Premier League’s big sharks circle, it seems as Liverpool are not making the Ghana international a priority this month.
The best January transfers, according to conventional wisdom, are the players you can sign six months earlier than initially planned. Luis Diaz, for example, was brought forward after Tottenham Hotspur emerged as a serious rival in the winter of 2022.
That being said, with the leg break to Alexander Isak leaving Liverpool short of options up top, is there something to be said for a pivot in the thinking inside the corridors of power of the AXA Training Centre?
The fact the No.9 cost a truly eye-watering £125m perhaps might answer that question but there is no doubt Liverpool could benefit from more firepower.
The decision to not recruit for a Diaz replacement has been debated plenty since the Colombia international moved to Bayern Munich and while I was not one of those who questioned that particular decision at the time, the emergence of 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha has not led to real pressure on Cody Gakpo on that left side of the attack.
The absence of Mohamed Salah may only be temporary but it is clear the 33-year-old is not an automatic starter anymore under Slot and with the Egyptian King into the twilight of his career, at least on Merseyside, adding further firepower now for the long term may be no bad thing.
Is there another front player Liverpool may see value in? After a remarkable summer splurge to bring in the likes of Isak, £116m Florian Wirtz and £79m Hugo Ekitike, it smacks a bit of entitlement to demand yet another front player but the circumstances have changed somewhat since those heady days of July and August.
Gakpo, Diaz, Sturridge, Suarez, Coutinho…Liverpool list of January forward players is impressive. Can they find another next month?
Theo Squires
In hindsight, Liverpool did leave themselves short in a couple of positions in the summer despite a £450m transfer outlay, with the decision to sell Luis Diaz in particular perhaps not ageing well.
But given just how extensive the Reds’ summer business was, it was never going to click overnight at Anfield. But dare I say it, while not perfect, Liverpool’s attacking options are starting to find form.
Hugo Ekitike has been one of their stars of the season while Florian Wirtz has been in great form over the past month – culminating with a first Premier League goal and assist against Wolves and Spurs respectively.
The depth has only been lacking because of enforced absences, with Alexander Isak’s leg fracture not aiding matters.
But with Mohamed Salah back from AFCON next month and Cody Gakpo and Jeremie Frimpong now back from injury, Arne Slot should have enough to get by for the rest of the season if the right attacking recruit is not available mid-season.
It is something that needs to be addressed in the summer, don’t get me wrong, but with Federico Chiesa, Dominik Szoboszlai and Rio Ngumoha also at his disposal, the attacking third is not the biggest hole in the Liverpool squad.
Instead, that remains at centre-back after Marc Guehi’s blocked move on transfer deadline day and Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending ACL injury. Joe Gomez’s recent hamstring injury has only limited the options further, and he could have left the club on deadline day himself.
Virgil van Dijk is not getting any younger while Ibrahima Konate, who remains out of contract at the end of the season, has struggled for consistency. Both the Frenchman and Gomez could easily be heading into their final year at Anfield.
Liverpool would be in the market for new centre-backs even without Leoni’s injury. It is a position that certainly needs addressing now, and that’s even without considering the Reds’ defensive issues this season.
It remains to be seen if Guehi would be obtainable in January. But given Liverpool will likely need more than just one new centre-back in 2026, it would not be the worst idea to cast their net a little wider to bolster their defensive options when the transfer window re-opens.
If they don’t, they remain at risk of an injury crisis – and at a time when their hopes of Champions League qualification next season remain fragile.
