Liverpool have been linked with a former Man City youngster as the January transfer window continues.
The Reds sealed their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a win over Arsenal, and also lead the Premier League standings and have advanced to the last 16 of the Europa League and the League Cup semi-finals, beating Fulham 2-1 in the first leg of the latter.
However a number of injury issues leaves Jurgen Klopp being linked with potential reinforcements as Liverpool look to build on the early promise this season. The Reds have a strong history of successful winter transfer windows.
They bought Cody Gakpo in 2023, and the Dutchman scored seven goals in 26 games to emerge as a crucial player in the second half of the year. They also signed Virgil van Dijk for a club record £75million in previous years.
Van Dijk made an instant impression by scoring the winning goal in the Merseyside derby against Everton. He later went on to become one of Liverpool’s most influential acquisitions, winning all there is with the Reds..
Prior to Van Dijk, January hits included signings like Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge, and Luis Suarez.
We’ll be bringing you daily updates on the latest Liverpool transfer news and rumours from our team of writers.
Loan decision made but Liverpool have other areas of concern
January 1: Liverpool kicked off the January window by organising the return of Fabio Carvalho from his loan at RB Leipzig a day before 2024 had even arrived.
And it will be interesting to see what the Reds do next with the former Fulham youngster, who can operate in attacking midfield or either wing. Another loan deal is currently planned with Liverpool keen to see Carvalho gain more minutes, though he will have the chance to impress in training and with Mohamed Salah headed to AFCON after the match against Newcastle, he may look to seize an opportunity.
Meanwhile Liverpool have no plans to bring in a left-back after the injuries to Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson, with the Scot expected to return to training in January. Jurgen Klopp also dismissed the idea of the Reds recruiting a defensive midfield in the winter window, with the Liverpool manager stating that Wataru Endo was the club’s choice to fill the role. Although groundwork could be done for a longer-term option, although the club have distanced themselves from Fluminense’s Andre Trinade.
Liverpool do have previous for springing surprise deals in January and it would seem likely that, if that is the case, centre-back would be the preferred area, although Jarell Quansah’s emergence has given Klopp confidence his side can manage in the absence of Joel Matip.
The Cameroonian, however, is out of contract in the summer and he, along with Thiago Alcantara, could be targeted by clubs in for a pre-contract agreement this window.
Liverpool ‘most credible candidate’ to sign Mbappe as left-back transfer hint made
January 2: With Kylian Mbappe entering the final six months of his latest Paris Saint-Germain contract, the January transfer window was only a few hours old when the latest reports linking the French superstar with Liverpool reared their head. According to Le Parisien, the Reds ‘dream’ of signing the forward and have emerged as the “most credible and dangerous candidate” to land his signature.
Wouldn’t that be nice! Alas, the same report also concedes that matching the financial demands of the World Cup winner would likely prove problematic. Go figure. Jurgen Klopp, like every other manager on the planet, would likely bite your hand off to sign Mbappe. But the Liverpool boss has been quite open in the past when admitting a move for the PSG star would not be feasible for them.
If they were to have any chance, you imagine it would only be if Mohamed Salah completed the most lucrative of transfers to Saudi Arabia in the summer. Regardless, Real Madrid remain the favourites to sign Mbappe, and it would be a surprise if the 25-year-old was on the move in January. For now the possibility of him moving to Anfield remains just a dream.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have recalled Owen Beck from his impressive loan spell at Dundee after Kostas Tsimikas suffered a broken collarbone against Arsenal last month. While Andy Robertson is not yet fit to return after dislocating his shoulder back in October, the return of the Wales youth international to Anfield would reiterate the club’s stance that they don’t intend to sign a new left-back in January.
Luis Enrique not giving much away about Kylian Mbappe amid fresh Liverpool links
January 3: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique insists the ongoing speculation over Kylian Mbappe’s future does not concern him, as he swatted aside more questions over the Liverpool-linked star.
Mbappe’s name has rarely disappeared from the transfer columns where the Reds are concerned in recent years with the electric frontman constantly linked with both Anfield and Real Madrid among others.
Now into the last six months of his contract, talk over the France international’s next move is set to be ramped to new levels and Premier League leaders Liverpool are once more being talked about as a possible destination should the les Bleus star, as expected, seek pastures new.
Real Madrid perhaps remain frontrunners for Mbappe’s signature but with the player’s mother Fayza Lemari – an influential figure and a driving force in his career to date – on record as being a Liverpool fan, the Reds have again been mentioned as a team who could sign arguably the most in-demand free agent of the century this summer.
Speaking before PSG’s game with Toulouse on Wednesday, Enrique declared the future of Mbappe is not in his hands as he attempted to distance himself from the speculation.
Asked how he will manage Mbappe as the transfer chatter continues, Enrique said: “As I always have done up to this point. It isn’t an issue that depends on me. I am not the one to respond to this question.”
Liverpool have been long-standing admirers of Mbappe dating back to his time with Monaco and the player himself has previously revealed that the club tried to sign him before he moved to Paris in the summer of 2017.
“I talked to Liverpool because it’s the favourite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool,” Mbappe has previously revealed. “I don’t know why, you will have to ask her! It’s a good club and we met them five years ago. When I was in Monaco I met them. It’s a big club.”
The absence of a transfer fee is a huge factor in any potential pursuit but the Reds would surely have to make Mbappe the highest-paid player in their history to lure him to Merseyside.
Kylian Mbappe ‘hasn’t made up mind’ over summer transfer as Liverpool monitor situation
January 4: Kylian Mbappe has confirmed there is no chance of him leaving Paris Saint-Germain this month – but admits he hasn’t made his mind up over his next destination.
The France World Cup winner is expected to leave the Ligue 1 champions on a free transfer in the summer having thus far shown no indication of agreeing a new contract at the Parc des Princes.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is a long-time admirer of the 25-year-old, although Real Madrid are considered front-runners for his signature and would be more willing to smash their wage structure to conclude a deal.
But Mbappe has hinted he is undecided over where he wants to play next season and is instead concentrating on securing silverware for his current team.
“First of all, I’m very, very, very motivated for this year – it’s very important,” said Mbappe after PSG’s 2-0 win over Toulouse in the French Super Cup final on Wednesday. “We’ve got titles to go after and we’ve already won one, so that’s already done. After that, no, I haven’t made up my mind yet.
“But in any case, with the agreement I made with the chairman (Nasser Al-Khelaifi) this summer, it doesn’t matter what I decide. We managed to protect all parties and preserve the club’s serenity for the challenges ahead, which remains the most important thing. So we’ll say it’s secondary.”
Mbappe didn’t sign his latest deal with PSG until shortly before it was due to expire two years ago, but has indicated he won’t necessarily leave the next decision on his future so late this time around.
“I think it was the end of May in 2022 because I didn’t know until May,” he said. “If I know what I want to do, why drag it out? It just doesn’t make sense.”
‘Kylian Mbappe can’t replace Mo Salah – he could cause problems at Liverpool’
January 5: Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson believes Mohamed Salah cannot be properly replaced at Anfield by Kylian Mbappe
Salah, who will be into the final year of his contract by the summer, was a target for Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad back in August before the club turned down an offer worth £150m on transfer deadline day.
Mbappe will be out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and has once more been linked with a transfer to Real Madrid and Liverpool, who the France international has previously confirmed spoke to him before his move to the French capital in 2017.
Lawrenson says Mbappe might not be cut out for the Premier League and says Salah – who has scored over 200 goals for the Reds – is irreplaceable for the long term.
“No one can replace him, because Mo Salah is Mo Salah,” said Lawrenson, in association with Paddy Power. “He seems to score every single game, and that’s his whole ethos about the way that he plays. Diogo Jota is back, which has been a bonus – although his dive [against Newcastle] was ridiculous, Cody Gakpo is starting to look better, Luis Díaz was lively the other night against Newcastle, and they’ve got Darwin Nunez.
“They still have four forwards to replace him – I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Egypt get knocked out in their first couple of games but they’ll miss him, he’s a massive player for them. It’s not just his goals – if you watched him against Newcastle the other night, he occupies two men at a time. They’ll definitely miss him.
“If Kylian Mbappe signs and he is a free agent, he will make millions. You must be careful about the dressing room balance; Mo Salah might ask for more money, as will Virgil van Dijk. I’m a little bit worried – I think he is a Real Madrid player, and not sure he’s a slog-it-in-the-Premier-League player.”
Lawrenson added: “In a way you’d love to have him, but it might cause a few problems, and when you think what you’d have to pay him, you could get two or three players in. If Liverpool knew that Salah was going at the end of the season, maybe what they get for him they could spend on Mbappe’s wages – if that’s the case, I would take him, but I wouldn’t want to spend so much money if that wasn’t the case.
“If Liverpool got some defensive reinforcements it would help, but Ibrahima Konaté is back now. Joe Gomez can play in there – people forget that quite a few years ago, it looked like it was going to [regularly] be Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, but he’s very rarely played in there. If van Dijk was out, then you’d be worried – he’s been outstanding in the past few games. If Jurgen Klopp thinks it’s an issue, he’ll buy someone. The other thing about the owners is that they understand sporting franchises – so speculate to accumulate.”
Liverpool ‘scouting’ potential Mohamed Salah replacement but he won’t come cheap
January 6: Liverpool have reportedly sent scouts to watch Crystal Palace star Michael Olise on a number of occasions this season.
Since recovering from a three-month lay-off with a hamstring injury, the France youth international has shone for the Eagles. He’s scored five goals from nine Premier League appearances so far this season, and looks set to be highly sought-after next summer.
Chelsea met his £35m release clause last year, only for him to opt to stay put at Selhurst Park and sign a new four-year deal. According to Football Insider, who are also reporting Liverpool’s scouting missions, the updated release clause in his latest contract will be in excess of £40m. It goes without saying that he won’t come cheap.
Speculation regarding Mohamed Salah’s future at Anfield continues following big-money interest from Saudi Arabia. Out of contract in 2025, it will be intriguing to see if Liverpool look to offer him an extension, cash in while they can, or let him see out his current deal. Regardless, now aged 31, sooner or later the Reds will need a long-term successor.
And Olise, who Liverpool reportedly monitored since he burst onto the scene as a teenager at Reading, is starting to emerge as one of the stand-out possibilities. The only problem is if the Reds enter the race for his signature, there will be plenty of sides they have to compete with.
We know Liverpool are partial to a transfer release clause though, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister the latest examples in the summer. If such a clause indeed exists, the Reds can avoid a bidding war.
Olise is not the finished article yet, but you wouldn’t expect him to be having just turned 22. Yet his new-found eye for goal is a glimpse of what we can expect from his future.
I wrote a piece that went up this morning looking at the French forward in closer detail and, in comparison to the Reds’ previous attacking signings, he doesn’t quite tick all the boxes. But he is ahead of them all at such a young age, and certainly will do in time.
Liverpool have favoured high-quality potential in the past when strengthening their attack. While replacing Salah might require a more proven touch when the time comes, Olise’s performances this season are, to the outside eye, making him increasingly look like the perfect successor.
Fabio Carvalho set for Hull City loan switch as Liverpool distance themselves from Jordan Henderson saga
January 7 & 8: Hull City have emerged as favourites to win the race to take Fabio Carvalho on loan from Liverpool for the remainder of the season.
Carvalho returned to Merseyside last week after the Reds pulled the plug on his season-long stay in Germany with RB Leipzig. The 21-year-old was on the periphery with the Bundesliga side and accrued only 360 minutes of competitive action before the league’s mid-season break.
A host of clubs have expressed an interest in taking the attacking midfielder on loan, including Premier League side Wolves and Championship duo Leicester City and Southampton.
However, it appears Championship side Hull – with whom Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton is enjoying a successful season on loan – are close to an agreement for Carvalho to spend the second half of the campaign on Humberside.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have steered clear of speculation linking Jordan Henderson with a shock return to the Premier League after it emerged the Al Ettifaq midfielder is unhappy in Saudi Arabia.
Henderson ended his 12-year career with the Reds back in the summer to move to the Middle East and link up with former team-mate Steven Gerrard, who manages Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.
After less than six months in the SPL, however, Henderson is seeking a move back to England with the former Reds captain said to be deeply unhappy with a number of factors including the standard of the league, the small number of crowds and the climate.
A report on Sunday claimed Liverpool are due a sell-on clause for any fee received should Henderson be sold but the expectation is that the England international will move on loan if his time in Saudi Arabia is cut short this month.
Henderson, who turns 34 in June is unlikely to command a huge sum from any interested Premier League parties and Ettifaq are under no obligation to sell this month.
Asked about the speculation on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp said: “Did Hendo have a press conference and say [he wants to leave]? So it is just written? That means for me it is not existing. He hasn’t called me. We spoke actually but not about that but I really have nothing to say about that.”
Long-term centre-backs plans well underway – but Liverpool keeping powder dry for now
January 9: It’s been no surprise to see Liverpool being linked with centre-backs in recent days as the transfer rumour mill goes on.
The Reds were named in connection with two defenders in Portugal this week with Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande and his team-mate Goncalo Inacio both said to be on the radar.
Liverpool had no interest in Inacio back in the summer months and it would be a major shock if that stance had changed but there is little doubt that centre-halves are being assessed from across the continent as the search goes on in the recruitment department.
Diomande is an interest prospect. At just 20 there is plenty of scope for development and improvement and he is likely being assessed by club scouts in the region purely based on his age and the fact he is playing senior minutes. Liverpool’s method of scouting is to rarely rule out any player definitively until they get to a certain age, usually around 25 and upwards, when they are convinced that any further improvements are only likely to be incremental.
It means the Reds are often monitoring dozens of players from across certain regions and Diomande might be one of those given his performances in Portugal. He will be one to keep an eye on for any fans tuning into the Africa Cup of Nations this month when he turns out for hosts Ivory Coast.
With Joel Matip sidelined with a long-term ACL injury and the fact he will be 33 when the new season gets underway, the centre-back, who is into the final months of his Anfield contract, might have played his last match for the Reds, despite Jurgen Klopp’s hope that a fresh deal will be offered to the long-serving player.
However a more practical view might be taken to bring in a younger player on a longer-term deal to fight for a place alongside Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and now Jarell Quansah, whose emergence has eased the sudden need for a centre-back this month. Liverpool continue to assess the market but are likely to hold off until the summer.
Goalkeeper makes new loan move as Saudi Arabia ‘target Liverpool duo’
January 10: Jordan Henderson may reportedly not find life in Saudi Arabia to his liking, but that isn’t stopping Liverpool players being linked with a move to the country.
And Al-Ettifaq boss Steven Gerrard is said to once again be considering a swoop on Jurgen Klopp’s squad to address a lack of quality that has seen his side slip down the Saudi Pro League.
It has been claimed Anfield legend Gerrard held talks with Al-Ettifaq officials earlier this week with the names of Liverpool centre-back duo Joel Matip and Joe Gomez having emerged as potential targets in the summer.
Matip is out of contract in the summer but, having had a fine season ended prematurely by an ACL injury, the Reds defender could yet agree a new deal at Anfield.
Gomez, meanwhile, has emerged as an important figure this term due to his versatility and has posted a succession of impressive performances, most recently as left-back cover for the injured Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. It would be a major surprise if either Liverpool or Gomez entertain a move.
Meanwhile, confirmation of Fabio Carvalho’s exit on loan to Championship side Hull City came after another Liverpool player sealed a temporary departure.
Goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros, who has been on the bench in the Europa League this season, has penned a new contract with the Reds before joining Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Liverpool linked with interest in former Manchester City Academy graduate
January 11: Conor Bradley may have excelled as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deputy against Fulham on Wednesday night. But Liverpool continue to be linked with a new right-back in the summer transfer window.
The latest name is Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, with the Reds said to have set their sights on signing the 23-year-old.
Frimpong has emerged as a target for several clubs having been a regular for a Leverkusen side who this season have remarkably won 19 of their 22 games in all competitions and drawn the other three, and sit top of the Bundesliga, are into Europa League knockout stages and the German Cup quarter-finals.
The former Manchester City graduate and Celtic player has contributed seven goals and 10 assists this term, although he has played the majority on the right side of midfield.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are also being linked with the player. With the future of Mohamed Salah unclear after the end of the season – he will be entering the final year of his contract with interest expected from Saudi Arabia – Liverpool are keeping their options open regards strengthening the right side of the team.
