Liverpool transfer news as Arne Slot supposedly eyes up a $76M defensive signing and Harvey Elliott is back in the Aston Villa matchday squad amid a hint on his future
05:00, 26 Jan 2026
Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund challenges Michael Olise of Bayern Munich.
Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund challenges Michael Olise of Bayern Munich.(Image: Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)
Liverpool lost for the seventh time this season in the Premier League — and dropped points in second-half stoppage time for the fifth time — by losing at Bournemouth.
Amine Adli's goal was a hammer blow for a Liverpool team that had looked so good against Marseille in the Champions League only a few days earlier. Back to domestic matters, the Reds looked like a shadow of themselves.
Arne Slot said it could be explained by fatigue. Quite simply, he doesn't have enough options to be able to rotate properly without there being a big gulf in quality. Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today.
OPINION
Author avatarMatt AddisonREAD MORE: Alisson ignores direct orders from Arne Slot as Liverpool failure proves costly
Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)
Liverpool is weighing up a $76 million (£56 million) transfer move for the Borussia Dortmund center-back Nico Schlotterbeck, according to the Daily Mirror.
After missing out on Marc Guehi and with its options at the back severely limited, Liverpool needs to have alternatives in mind. Schlotterbeck could be available in the summer.
The 26-year-old is set to be out of contract in the summer of 2027 and so far, he has resisted approaches to extend his deal. Instead, Europe's big sides are circling.
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At the end of this season, Ibrahima Konate will be a free agent and Virgil van Dijk will turn 35. Joe Gomez is injury-prone and Giovanni Leoni, the teenager, will have missed pretty much the whole of his debut campaign in England because of an ACL injury.
Schlotterbeck could be an option that Liverpool considers. He was always much more likely to move in the summer than the winter window, with Dortmund reluctant to let a star man depart mid-season.
Liverpool.com says: Schlotterback is likely to be a name that crops up a lot between now and the summer. The German defender has a growing reputation and a move to Anfield could therefore make sense.
Harvey Elliott (Aston Villa)
Back in the Aston Villa matchday squad for the first time in two months, Harvey Elliott was predictably left on the bench at St James' Park as the Midlands side beat Newcastle.
Elliott has interest from MLS clubs including Charlotte FC, but despite his lack of action under Unai Emery, the player has so far shown no desire to make that move, Fabrizio Romano reports.
On loan for the season from Liverpool, the England U21 international would need to move outside of Europe if his arrangement at Villa Park comes to an end, as he has already represented two teams in the Premier League this season.
That led to speculation that MLS could be an option (the Saudi Pro League would be another). Neither destination is particularly enticing for a 22-year-old who is more than capable of playing regularly in the English top flight, however.
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Liverpool.com says: Elliott's situation has been very odd this year. The player is clearly good enough, but Emery doesn't want to sign him permanently. It's turned into a waste of time for all parties.