The January transfer window is in full swing and Liverpool are still looking at ways to improve their squad and keep key assets as they attempt to lift the Premier League title
Liverpool fans are crossing their fingers for a couple of fresh faces to join the squad this January as the club aim to hold their Premier League lead.
Following an electrifying 2-0 victory over Brentford, Arne Slot‘s side now sits comfortably six points above Arsenal, who recently stumbled in their match against Aston Villa, with the Reds also having a game in hand.
However, whispers of key players departing haunt Liverpool fans, with Mohamed Salah’s future uncertain and Real Madrid’s eyes on Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Here is the latest transfer news from Anfield.
Slot lets slip why Liverpool passed up on Zubimendi
Liverpool let the chance to snap up Martin Zubimendi slide by, retracting from talks with the Real Sociedad star. While Liverpool might rue missing out on the Spanish playmaker’s signature, they’ve witnessed a dynamic midfield duo emerge in Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, reports the Mirror.
Slot has now illuminated on Liverpool’s dalliance with Zubimendi – who seems set for an Arsenal switch this summer – suggesting that Gravenberch’s prominence in the squad diminished the need for another signing.
“The [No.6 roles] are important to me, but they are especially important for our attackers. We feel we have attackers that are pretty special – the front three – and we’ve got five or six of them.”
“With Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) and Ryan, we have two players who can bring the ball to the likes of Mo Salah, to Cody Gakpo, to Darwin Nunez, to Diogo Jota.
“And we have chosen to bring in two players who were maybe a bit more attacking-minded in the past. Macca played a lot of times as a No.10 for Brighton, Ryan played more as an attacking midfielder but he is comfortable on the ball.
“I even think the player we wanted to bring in [Zubimendi] – I think that’s pretty much out in the open now – he was also a player who was really comfortable. He’s still a player who could bring the ball from the last line to our forwards.
“This is a special quality Ryan has. The ability to turn away from his man. He is one of a few holding midfielders, pivots, whatever you call them in this country, who can create an overload by a dribble.”
Salah “doesn’t look interested”
Ongoing chatter about Mo Salah’s future at Liverpool keeps making headlines, particularly with the Egyptian having yet to ink a new deal. Now pundit Troy Deeney weighs in on the rumours.
Scoring goals left and right, Salah seems unstoppable this season with 18 hits to his name in the Premier League alone, but Deeney reckons there’s more than meets the eye regarding the 32-year-old.
Despite chalking up an enviable record, the former Chelsea and Roma forward has dropped several hints about leaving Liverpool when the season ends, showing clear discontent over his current contract predicaments.
These sentiments were echoed by Deeney who boldly claimed that in the wake of Liverpool’s latest victory against Brentford, Salah “didn’t look interested” – months after he laughably suggested the winger isn’t “world class”.
“[Salah] doesn’t look interested,” Deeney commented on talkSPORT after the match. “Notably, Salah is the first one off the pitch… Something’s up with that fella today. Whether it’s something with Saudi, whether there’s a move, but he’s not been at the races today.
“Him going down the tunnel first, even though 95% of the team is over there celebrating, says a lot to me. The whole team was celebrating in the corner and he was 70 metres away. It was like, ‘Job done, I’m out of here’. There might be something else going on and I’m overreacting. But that said a lot to me.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold “will get killed at Madrid”
Another Liverpool player whose attitude has come under scrutiny amidst conversations about his future is right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who appears to have caught the attention of LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
The England defender has faced criticism for recent substandard performances with Liverpool, leading some, including Roy Keane, to speculate that such form could make Madrid rethink their interest in him.
Echoing those concerns, Emmanuel Petit has voiced agreement, saying that the ruthless Spanish media would “kill” Alexander-Arnold should he join Los Blancos given the immense pressure placed on star recruits.
In a candid assessment of the pressure at Real Madrid, he warned Trent Alexander-Arnold off a potential move stating, “Honestly, if he goes over there, they don’t forgive anything at Real Madrid,” as reported by Casino Utan Spelpaus.
He continued: “He will go over there, and the fans and the club will tell Trent, forget what you’ve done with Liverpool so far. That is exactly what happened to me when I went to Barcelona. They told me, forget what you’ve done so far.”
“You start on a new page. So now you have to write history with us. If Trent does what he does defensively at Real Madrid, they will kill him. It doesn’t matter if he gives assists or if he scores goals, they will kill him.”
“Look what happened at the Super Cup final? Oh my God. Defensively, it was a nightmare to watch for Real Madrid. So, can you imagine Trent Alexander-Arnold in this mess?
“After two, three games, they will kill him. If I was Trent Alexander-Arnold, I would think about it twice.”