Honestly, if you’d told a Liverpool fan back in August—after that massive £450 million summer spree—that the club would be scrambling for defensive cover by January, they’d have laughed. It felt like the squad was bulletproof. But football has a funny way of humbling the biggest spenders.
The current news from Liverpool Football Club is, frankly, a bit of a mess. Arne Slot is currently staring at a fixture list that looks more like a marathon than a schedule, and he’s doing it with a squad that’s thinning out faster than a winter treeline. The big headline? Conor Bradley is out for the season. That’s a massive blow. He went under the knife this week for a knee injury he picked up against Arsenal. It’s not an ACL, which is the only silver lining, but he won’t be back until July.
Suddenly, the "reigning champions" (a title that feels a bit heavy right now) are fourth in the table, trailing Arsenal by a whopping 14 points.
The defensive crisis and the £52m dilemma
You’ve probably seen the rumors. Names like Marc Guehi and Nathan Collins are being thrown around like confetti. But here’s the reality: Liverpool’s hierarchy is notoriously picky in January. They don’t like "panic buying," yet Slot is down to just six fit senior defenders.
He’s been forced to play Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back. Yes, you read 그게 right. One of the most creative midfielders in Europe is being used as a makeshift defender because Jeremie Frimpong—another big summer arrival—is struggling with recurring hamstring issues. Slot basically admitted in a recent press conference that he hates doing it. It’s a "needs must" situation that is actively hurting the team's balance.
Is the Isak gamble failing?
Then there’s Alexander Isak. The deadline-day hero of the summer is currently recovering from a fractured fibula. He’s expected back in late March, but in his absence, the goals have dried up in the big games. While the 4-1 FA Cup win over Barnsley was a nice distraction, the 0-0 draws against Leeds and Arsenal showed a team lacking that clinical edge.
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- Conor Bradley: Out until July (Knee surgery).
- Alexander Isak: Aiming for a late March return.
- Giovanni Leoni: Season over (ACL).
- Stefan Bajcetic: Dealing with hamstring setbacks, maybe back in February.
What's the deal with Mo Salah and AFCON?
The Mo Salah situation is weirdly tense. Egypt got knocked out by Senegal in the semi-finals—Sadio Mane getting the better of his old teammate again—but Salah isn't back on Merseyside yet. He’s staying for the third-place play-off against Nigeria this Saturday.
There’s some friction here. Reports have surfaced about a "breakdown" in the relationship between Salah and Slot, with the Egyptian King allegedly feeling like he was "thrown under the bus" during a rough patch in December. Whether that’s just heat-of-the-moment frustration or a genuine rift remains to be seen, but with his contract always a talking point, every scowl is being analyzed by the media.
The word is he’ll miss the Champions League trip to Marseille on Wednesday but should be in the squad for Bournemouth on January 24.
The "Silent" January Window
Despite the noise, the only actual "new" face at the AXA Training Centre is Mor Talla Ndiaye. He’s 18. He’s one for the future. He is definitely not the veteran center-half fans are screaming for.
Fabrizio Romano has already given the "Here We Go" for Ifeanyi Ndukwe, but that’s a summer 2026 move. It doesn't help the "six defenders" problem right now. The club is also linked with a £52 million move for Kees Smit from AZ Alkmaar, but Real Madrid are sniffing around there too. Liverpool usually don't win bidding wars against Madrid when the price goes north of £50m for a teenager.
Andy Robertson's uncertain future
And let's talk about Robbo. The man is a legend, but he’s in the final months of his deal. He’s lost his starting spot to Milos Kerkez, the £40m summer signing who has been one of the few bright spots this term. Robertson has been class about it, saying he wants to stay, but he also wants to play. At 31, he’s at a crossroads. Does he stay as a high-value squad player or head to somewhere like Atletico Madrid for one last big run?
How to navigate the rest of the season
If you're a fan or just following the news from Liverpool Football Club, the next three weeks are everything. The club has nine games in January. Nine. With six defenders.
Watch the kids. Since the senior squad is paper-thin, keep an eye on Rio Ngumoha. He limped off against Barnsley, but Slot thinks it was just cramp. If he’s fit, he might be the wildcard Liverpool needs to inject some life into the wing while Salah finds his feet post-AFCON.
Don't expect a Guehi miracle. Crystal Palace know Liverpool are desperate. Desperation in the transfer market usually adds a "tax" of about £20 million. Unless Liverpool find a way to shift Federico Chiesa back to Italy (Juventus are reportedly interested in a loan-to-buy), the funds for a massive defensive signing might not be there.
The Marseille Factor. The Champions League game on January 21 is a pivot point. A win there stabilizes the ship. A loss, and the "Arne Slot out" brigade—which is currently small but loud—will start getting more airtime on the phone-in shows.
Keep your eyes on the team sheet for the Burnley game this weekend. If Szoboszlai is still at right-back, it’s a sign that the club is truly struggling to find a solution in the market. The next step for any follower is to monitor the injury return dates for Wataru Endo; his experience in shielding a makeshift backline is going to be more valuable than any new signing could be in the short term.