Liverpool could see any potential transfer business blocked by home-grown quota rules, should they look to do business this month. The Reds were the biggest Premier League spenders during the 2025 summer transfer window, penning big-money moves for the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
Things haven’t exactly worked out for the Reds, with Arne Slot’s new-look side having huffed and puffed at times this season. They appear to have turned a corner recently, with results trending in the right direction again, but that hasn’t stopped speculation surrounding potential activity in the January transfer window.
However, it looks like any plans to bring fresh faces into the squad will be dependent on outgoings, given Liverpool have already maxed out their 17-player quota for non-homegrown players. That’s across both the Premier League and the Champions League, where Liverpool are expected to reach the knockout stage when the league phase concludes later this month.
Some wriggle room might present itself if Federico Chiesa seals a move elsewhere, with the Italian said to be of interest to former employers Juventus. Chiesa left the Old Lady for Liverpool in the 2024 summer transfer window, but has found minutes hard to come by under Slot and is likely to depart this month.
Liverpool are said to have hit another roadblock when it comes to sanctioning his exit, as they were reportedly waiting for Mohamed Salah to return from the Africa Cup of Nations before letting him go. That’s because of injuries in the forward department, most notably to record signing Isak, who is expected to be out of action until the spring.
It remains to be seen whether exit talk intensifies following Salah’s return, but Juventus boss Luciano Spalletti refused to be drawn into speculation surrounding a possible move.
When quizzed about the move, he sarcastically replied: “I am pleased you are giving me this news, seeing as we haven’t even had a meeting yet on the transfer market. But it’s the first I’ve heard of it. For the moment, it’s just thrown out there, but absolutely nothing concrete behind it.”
In the meantime, Liverpool will be looking to end the season on a high, with the 20-time English champions still competing on three fronts. Alongside a battle to finish inside the top four, Liverpool still harbour hopes of a deep Champions League run, while the FA Cup represents their most likely route to silverware this season.