Liverpool may not have played with the attacking verve of last season, but they find themselves firmly in the hunt for the Premier League title as the pivotal festive period approaches. The similarly influential January transfer window also looms large on the horizon. Jurgen Klopp is all but certain to dive into the market in order to give his side a boost ahead of the business end of the domestic and European campaigns.

Here are three names that may be heavily linked with a move to Liverpool.

KEREM DEMIRBAY

The name may not be too familiar to audiences who primarily focus on English football, but Hoffenheim’s 25-year-old central midfielder is said to be firmly on the radar of Jurgen Klopp. These rumours have been swirling for a while, with Liverpool suggested to have been on the verge of swooping for the German international until he succumbed to an ankle injury at the start of 2018.

Demirbay is capable of using his strength to find space in the middle of the park to maximise his incisive vision and precise left foot. His arrival would probably spell bad news for Jordan Henderson, although Demirbay may be considered a potential upgrade on an allegedly unsettled Fabinho.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC 

The American star has found his playing time at Borussia Dortmund restricted by the remarkable rise of Jadon Sancho, which has alerted the attention of Chelsea and Liverpool. Chelsea may be able to offer the 20-year-old Pulisic more football in the short term, but Klopp will hope that he can convince the American that any title ambitions will be more achievable in red rather than blue. The odds in the Betfair premier league betting market on the Exchange support that argument; Manchester City and Liverpool are well ahead of the chasing pack, able to be backed at prices of 1.24 and 6.4 respectively as of December 5th. Chelsea will struggle to catch the top two, but Liverpool cling to fading hopes that they can overhaul City.

A signing such as Pulisic, rumoured to be available for £70 million, would reinvigorate those hopes. Manchester City have been able to cope almost effortlessly with the long-term absence of Kevin de Bruyne due to their strength in depth; could Liverpool cope with similar ease if something were to happen to Mane or Salah? Pulisic would certainly help in this regard.

HOUSSEM AOUAR

It may not just be back-up to Salah that is required in the next couple of years; a direct replacement would be needed if the Egyptian heeds the advice of his national team manager Javier Aguirre. That exit would be contingent on Liverpool’s failure to win trophies, but Klopp will be hoping that it doesn’t come to that.

Still, Lyon’s Aouar would be an ideal candidate to step into the Egyptian’s shoes. While Liverpool may add an extra chapter to the transfer saga of Nabil Fekir in January (Via The Guardian), Klopp could be tempted to swoop for Fekir’s team-mate. Many clubs are said to be sniffing around the midfielder who has invited comparisons with Philippe Coutinho. At 20, Aouar has time on his side, but Liverpool may have to act quickly to secure his long-term future.

The rumours seem to suggest that Klopp is keen to bolster his attacking options, having finally established a settled defence ahead of a reliable goalkeeper. While Xherdan Shaqiri is improving with every performance and Divock Origi came back from the cold in style against Everton, having strength in depth is essential if Liverpool are to match Manchester City stride for stride.

Posted on December 10th, 2018 by scott
Filed under: Article