Liverpool cannot afford January transfer misstep with Arne Slot set to repeat Jurgen Klopp error

A decision to leave Liverpool with just six defensive options in the second half of the season could prove catastrophic. Following Conor Bradley's injury, the Reds need to act in the market

Arne Slot and Liverpool could be left in a vulnerable position if it does not sign a defender this month(Image: )

The news that Liverpool does not plan to make significant additions to its squad in January, despite the growing injury list, will have come as little surprise to supporters.

After all, when the Reds made eight first-team additions last summer and spent the guts of £450 million ($608M) on new recruits, there was no expectation that Arne Slot would be left short in terms of quality and options this season.

In fact, after landing Alexander Isak on deadline day, most felt a side that had begun the campaign with a 100 percent winning streak was possibly on course to wrap up another Premier League title at a canter. Yet, those plans have unravelled.

Performances and results dropped, Arne Slot’s position came under increasing scrutiny, and it quickly became apparent that a squad initially seen as revitalized and strengthened was actually lacking in key areas.

Injuries haven’t helped, of course. None could have foreseen Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending injury on his debut, or that by mid-January, Conor Bradley’s knee problem would reduce Slot’s defensive options for the rest of the campaign to just six. Isak’s fractured leg has only compounded matters. Now Liverpool looks light at both ends of the pitch.

It led most to the conclusion that reinforcements are undeniably required in January, especially with Liverpool still competing on three fronts.

Yet, Liverpool.com has been informed that, as first reported in The Athletic, the expectation remains that no signings will be completed this month, even after Bradley’s campaign-curtailing knee twist last week.

Bradley's injury should force a rethink in the transfer window(Image: Getty Images)

That’s not to say definitively that no first-team arrivals will materialize. Liverpool remains vigilant in the window and open to “market opportunities”, but there is certainly no sense that defensive reinforcements are now viewed as essential.

In the short term, that raises questions about who exactly will replace the injured Bradley. Jermie Frimpong appears the obvious choice, something Slot implied after the win over Barnsley, a match that highlighted the 25-year-old’s offensive qualities and often suspect defending.

Joe Gomez and Dominik Szoboszlai can also expect stints in that position, while Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo have previously been deployed at right-back. The issue, of course, is that with diminished squad depth, it could leave Liverpool light elsewhere.

Another intriguing figure is Calvin Ramsay, the defender who is yet to make a Premier League appearance in four years at Liverpool, and yet has slowly evolved into a first-team necessity throughout the course of the campaign. He impressed in his one appearance this season, which came in the Carabao Cup loss against Crystal Palace, but has not been trusted since and has been an unused substitute in the last seven matches.

Ramsay could have a significant role to play in the second half of the season(Image: Getty Images)

The integration of a fringe member of the squad will no doubt evoke memories of the Reds’ last Premier League title defense, when a spate of defensive injuries meant Jurgen Klopp was forced to call upon Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams, while turning to an eclectic assembly of underqualified replacements in the market.

That approach in 2021 led to the usual criticism of FSG’s perceived frugality. It looked for cheap short-term solutions, deferring any significant transfer action until the following summer.

The same can be said half a decade on, although any allegations of thriftiness cannot be leveled at owners who invested so heavily in the squad.

Assuming Liverpool does not act this window, it will offer the first proof that the summer of 2025 was an exception rather than the norm.

Guehi could be the solution to Liverpool's transfer problems(Image: Getty Images)

In some ways, that has already been seen with the decision not to push for Antoine Semenyo’s transfer, even though he was highly admired by the Anfield hierarchy. So too is Marc Guehi, another being sized up by Manchester City. Should Pep Guardiola’s side snatch both from under Liverpool’s nose, then supporters can be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu.

As the Klopp era ended, there was a widespread belief among fans that Liverpool would struggle to compete with City’s financial might. That, of course, changed in the subsequent 12 months, even if the Reds’ exorbitant summer spending spree was partly funded by a raft of expensive outgoings. Just a few months on, the perception of that window has dramatically altered.

History also offers a sober warning for Liverpool. The club’s rigid transfer plans after winning the title in 2020 meant it was unable to overcome the adversity the following season provided, and some would argue that it allowed City to regain supremacy. It went on to win four successive titles.

That is unlikely to be the case this time - for a start, Arsenal has big ambitions of its own and Guardiola’s time in England is surely drawing to a close. However, a failure to make at least one defensive addition in January could leave Slot and Liverpool vulnerable for the remainder of the campaign, and potentially force them to play catch-up in next summer's transfer market.