Anfield feels a bit tense right now. You can sense it in the air during those wet Saturday afternoons, especially after that 1-1 draw with Burnley. It’s January 2026, and the transfer window is wide open, yet the Liverpool trophy room hasn't seen a new senior arrival this month. Meanwhile, the "one that got away" is currently having a medical in Manchester.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Marc Guehi.
Honestly, the way this played out is enough to give any supporter a massive headache. Last summer, Liverpool basically had Guehi through the door. A £35 million deal was agreed upon on deadline day. The "Here We Go" was tweeted. Fans were ready. Then, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner pulled the plug because he couldn't find a replacement in time. Fast forward to today, and Guehi is headed to Manchester City for just £20 million.
Why didn't Richard Hughes and Arne Slot hijack it? It seems bizarre to let a primary target join a direct rival for a cheaper price, especially when you’ve got a defensive injury crisis.
Liverpool FC Transfers and Rumours: The Defensive Gamble
The current state of the backline is, frankly, a worry. Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are both out for the remainder of the season with knee injuries. That leaves the squad incredibly thin. Arne Slot is staying remarkably calm in his press conferences, though. He keeps talking about "market opportunities" and not "panic buying."
But fans are asking: at what point does "meticulous planning" just become "risky inaction"?
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If you're looking at the rumor mill, the name Nico Schlotterbeck has surged to the top of the list. Borussia Dortmund’s center-back is a powerhouse, and with Bayern Munich reportedly cooling their interest because he's "too expensive," the path to Anfield is theoretically clear. Liverpool need a left-footed specialist to eventually succeed Virgil van Dijk, who, let's be real, is not getting any younger at 34.
Then there is the contract situation with Ibrahima Konate.
Talks have stalled. There’s no other way to put it. Konate’s deal expires in June 2026, and David Ornstein has confirmed there’s been "no breakthrough." If he doesn't sign by the summer, Liverpool face the very real prospect of losing a prime-age defender for nothing, or being forced to sell him on the cheap. This is exactly why the pursuit of Guehi—or now Schlotterbeck—matters so much.
Midfield and Attack: The £450 Million Context
It is easy to forget that Liverpool were the Premier League's biggest spenders last summer. They dropped serious cash—nearly half a billion pounds.
- Florian Wirtz for £116 million.
- Alexander Isak for £125 million (who is currently out with a fractured fibula).
- Hugo Ekitike for £79 million.
Slot is right when he says the development of these players is being overshadowed by a few draws. Wirtz has been a revelation, and even in the frustrating Burnley game, he was the best player on the pitch. But with Isak sidelined until the spring, the goal-scoring burden has shifted back to a returning Mohamed Salah.
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Speaking of Salah, he’s back from AFCON earlier than expected after Egypt’s semi-final exit. That’s a massive boost, but it doesn't solve the defensive depth.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Slot Strategy
The biggest misconception is that Liverpool are "broke" or "scared to spend." They aren't. They just refuse to pay a premium for a "stop-gap." Slot and Hughes are looking for players who fit a specific statistical profile.
Take Yan Diomande at RB Leipzig. He’s been heavily linked with an £86 million move. Reports from Fabrizio Romano suggests that while a move is "sanctioned," it won't happen until the summer. Liverpool are essentially playing a long game in a short-term world.
They did make one move this week, though it's one for the future. Mor Talla Ndiaye, a 17-year-old Senegalese center-back from Amitie FC, has signed. He’ll go straight into the U21s. It’s classic Liverpool—identifying the next big thing before the price tag hits £50 million. They are also closing in on Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna for the summer.
Real Talk: Is the Season at Risk?
The frustration at Anfield isn't about a lack of talent; it's about the "what ifs."
What if Van Dijk gets a knock?
What if Quansah has to play every single minute of the Champions League and Premier League run-in?
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The club is currently 4th. They have a massive Champions League clash against Marseille at the Velodrome coming up. To navigate that without defensive reinforcements feels like walking a tightrope without a net.
Some pundits, like Stan Collymore, have suggested a shock swap deal involving Konate and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa. While that feels a bit "Football Manager," it highlights the growing consensus that something has to give in the defensive department before the February 2nd deadline.
Practical Steps for the Rest of the Window
If you're following the news daily, keep your eyes on these specific movements:
- The Schlotterbeck Price Drop: Watch if Dortmund lowers their valuation in the final 48 hours of the window. If it drops below £60 million, Liverpool might actually bite.
- The Feyenoord Connection: Slot is reportedly eyeing Givairo Read, a 19-year-old right-back he coached in Rotterdam. With Bradley out, a loan or a cut-price permanent deal for Read makes almost too much sense.
- The Konate "Deadline": If no news on a contract extension breaks by the end of January, expect the Schlotterbeck or Diomande rumours to go into overdrive heading into February.
- Internal Solutions: Watch for Arne Slot to potentially recall youngsters or shift Joe Gomez back into a permanent central role, which might signal that the club has officially decided to wait until summer for a major signing.
Liverpool's "meticulous" approach has brought trophies, but it has also brought periods of stagnation. This January feels like a defining moment for the Hughes-Slot era. Missing out on Guehi to City might be a masterstroke of financial discipline, or it might be the decision that costs them the title. We'll know the answer by May.