Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has claimed that he doesn’t expect new signings to arrive in the January transfer window, which may not delight supporters.
The Reds make the trip to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday evening, with Milos Kerkez making a return to his former club.
Speaking to the press on Friday [via The Liverpool Echo], Slot praised the Hungarian’s recent form, having overcome a difficult start to life at Anfield:
“Milos and a lot of signings we have made you can see the progression they are making in terms of adjustment to team and also power, not a lot of times Milos has played twice a week but he’s getting stronger and stronger. He did really well in Marseille. He is improving.
“If you look at the age of our signings they will be better second half of season, but also next season and season after that. He is improving but not always him. We have to make sure the others are at their level as well.”
Meanwhile, Slot also provided a disappointing five-word update on Liverpool’s chance of bringing in new faces this month, saying: “That’s what I expect, yeah.”
Liverpool’s January transfer stance bordering on negligent
To not make any new signings in the January window will rightly cause anger among Liverpool’s fanbase, considering Slot’s squad doesn’t feel brimming with depth for the second half of the season.
At centre-back, the Reds feel particularly light, not helped by missing out to Manchester City for the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, and so much now rests on Virgil van Dijk staying fit.
Both Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are injury-prone, with the former expected to miss the Bournemouth game after the sad death of his father, and there is an inevitability about one of them being out for a period at some point.
Meanwhile, Liverpool could also have done with bringing in a new wide attacker who has the versatility to play on either flank, following tough seasons for Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.
The fact that Slot doesn’t expect signings this month doesn’t bode well, and FSG will need to make up for it in the summer instead.