Liverpool have been linked with several defenders going into the 2026 January transfer window.
The Reds have had just three senior central defenders for much of the current campaign so far.
But with Joe Gomez out versus Tottenham, that number has diminished to two.
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Federico Chiesa is being disrespected by Arne Slot! How would you use the Italian vs Tottenham?
“It just doesn’t seem like he trusts him [Chiesa]. I know when they lost at Plymouth, Slot was furious with Chiesa.”
Lewis Steele on Federico Chiesa
Federico Chiesa of Liverpool F.C. looks on during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield
Credit: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
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Ibrahima Konate has been slammed for his form this season as well, so potential defensive reinforcements this winter would make sense.
Marc Guehi has been linked since the summer when Liverpool failed to get a deal over the line.
Nico Schlotterbeck is another potential option for the Premier League champions.
Arne Slot coy on Liverpool signing a defender
Now, as we head towards January, Arne Slot has been asked about a defender signing next month.
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However, when speaking at his pre-Tottenham press conference, as quoted by Lewis Steele on X/Twitter, he was quick to highlight that what the outside world thinks about Liverpool is ‘not true’.
The Dutchman went on to say that there will be games in which his team are simply short of options in some positions.
He said: “The outside world wants to believe we have unlimited money but that is not true.
“You insiders know – and you are the only ones because the outside world only talks about our spending – what we have brought in to spend.
“That is the way we work over here. You then have to accept that in certain games during a season you are short of a right full-back. But we are still able to win. I fully believe in that way of working, by the way.”
Who is your least favourite opposition player of all-time? Richarlison has got to be up there!
Richarlison warms up ahead of Tottenham's UEFA Champions League match against Slavia Prague at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Credit: Getty Images/Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images). Richarlison argues with Virgil van Dijk during Tottenham's Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Carl Recine).
Image Credit: Getty Images/Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/Carl Recine
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What is Liverpool’s January transfer budget?
While Slot is obviously correct about the Reds not having unlimited money, they are in good financial shape.
RTK have previously spoken to finance expert Adam Williams about how much money Liverpool can spend in January.
He said: “Clearly, Liverpool are looking for a centre-back. They nearly got Guehi in the summer, which suggests that they have the money ready to go. Depending on the structure of the signings they made, I don’t think FSG will need to break their habit of not putting external funds into the club to make that happen.
“Ultimately, if they want to spend £100m, there is nothing stopping them. Whether they will or not is entirely down to the owners. They have a £350m revolving credit facility – which you can basically liken to an overdraft – that they can use if cash flow is tight. And if a blue-chip centre-back is going to be the difference between qualifying for the Champions League or not, it makes sense to pay a bit of a January premium and get a deal done.”
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