Liverpool has reached its brief winter break in very fine fettle. It is top of the Premier League – where it will remain no matter the results this weekend – favorite to win the Europa League and well placed to reach the Carabao Cup final.
If that were not enough, the Reds knocked title rivals Arsenal out of the FA Cup at the Gunners’ own ground last weekend. The struggles of last season are becoming a dim and distant memory, with Liverpool 2.0 having had an excellent first half of 2023/24.
As he enjoys a very rare mid-season weekend off, Jürgen Klopp can feel satisfied with how the rebuild at the club has begun. But the evolution of a squad is a constant process, and while transfer rumors never die away entirely, they tend to hot up in January when the window for signings is open.
There has been little indication as yet that the Reds will be signing anyone this month, though the club has surprised us all in the past. Other teams will no doubt be conducting business, though, so here is the Liverpool.com take on some of the biggest stories around European football today.
Real Madrid facing war over Mbappé
It has long been expected that Kylian Mbappé will join Real Madrid when he leaves Paris Saint-Germain. His contract expires this summer so he could be wearing the famous white kit in 2024/25.
Yet according to Football Transfers, senior figures at Real are split on whether the World Cup winner is the right signing for them. It has been reported that “the more mature and wise people at Madrid” believe Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is the forward they should acquire.
Arsenal eyeing Serie A striker
Arsenal has had difficulty converting the chances it has created in recent weeks so it is inevitably being linked with signing a striker this month. Football.London has claimed that Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee could be the answer to the Gunners’ problems.
They also relay quotes from Dutch reporter Souleyman Ozturk, who stated in 2022: “Zirkzee is better than Erling Haaland at everything. Now you may be dismayed because of this statement. But I will frame it. (Zirkzee) has vision, technique, strength, charisma, flair, footballing ability. He is therefore better than Haaland in almost everything. Imagine if Zirkzee had the energy and focus of Haaland. Then he would be the best striker in the world.”
Zirkzee was formerly with Bayern Munich and has also played for Parma and Anderlecht. He has scored seven goals in Serie A this season and is said to be available for around $64m (£50m/€58m). But will Arsenal make a move?
