Liverpool will look to extend its advantage at the top of the table to five points today. The gap isn’t quite as big as it seems, with Manchester City still needing to play its game in hand at some point after the Brentford match was postponed due to Club World Cup commitments, but it would be a very healthy position in which to end New Year’s Day.
In truth, Jürgen Klopp probably won’t be thinking about Liverpool’s rivals very much at all. But if he were, he would no doubt expect Manchester City to come back strongly in the second half of the season. The Reds may need to pick up in turn if they are to keep their position at the Premier League summit.
Now into January, Klopp once again has the option of signing new players to bolster that effort. He’s clearly very content with the rebuilt Liverpool squad, but there are still areas that require long-term attention — while injuries have created some short-term strains as well.
Defense seems to offer the biggest opportunity to make a signing for the future who can also help out straight away. Sure enough, Klopp is being linked with adding two players to his back line, albeit of fairly different profiles. One would (technically) cross the Everton divide. Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today.
Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting)
Gonçalo Inácio has been linked to Liverpool since the start of last summer. In the meantime, Sporting has increased his release clause, which now stands at $66m (£52m/€60m).
However, far from securing his long-term future, Inácio is now considered ‘very likely’ to leave in January. That’s according to the print edition of O Jogo, via Paisley Gates.
Sporting has already signed Rafael Silva, potentially as a replacement. And Liverpool is ‘pressing’ to get Inácio this month. However, there is also ‘repeated interest’ from Arsenal and Real Madrid.
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
With no senior dedicated left-backs fit, Klopp could turn to Antonee Robinson of Fulham. That’s according to 90MIN. Liverpool has supposedly already made ‘contact’ with Fulham to sound out a move. Meanwhile, the player himself would be open to making the switch — particularly notable since he spent more than a decade at Everton as a youngster, albeit never making a first-team appearance.
Klopp is currently relying on Joe Gomez on the left in the absence of both Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. However, the Scot is expected back around the end of the month.
