Liverpool have reportedly decided not to sign a new central defender in the January transfer window, despite Joel Matip’s injury setback.
Jurgen Klopp’s side sealed a dramatic 4-3 win at home to Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s late strike sealing all three points.
It was a huge victory in the Premier League title race but it came at a cost, with Matip limping off with an injury in the second half.
The 32-year-old has returned to somewhere near his best form this season, jumping ahead of Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order, so this is a cruel blow for him, not to mention a big worry for Liverpool.
With the January window approaching, the Reds could delve into the market to sign a new player who can make up for the absence of Matip, but an update from Football Insider claims that they are unlikely to do that:
“Liverpool are not planning to rush into the market for a centre-back in January despite Joel Matip’s new long-term injury, sources have told Football Insider.”
The report goes on to add that there is still “no massive need” to make additions in that area of the pitch, suggesting that Klopp is happy with the options at his disposal.
Our thoughts on Liverpool not signing a centre-back…
This is a tricky one for Liverpool, with Matip’s injury significantly weakening their squad depth in the approaching months, especially if he is out injured for an extended period.
It makes Virgil van Dijk and Konate staying fit crucial if the Reds are to mount a genuine Premier League title challenge, with Joe Gomez and youngster Jarell Quansah also players who can be called upon.
While some of Liverpool’s rivals would simply splash out on a new centre-back in January, Klopp is a manager who likes to show faith in the players that he has, so unless they were already planning a signing before Matip’s injury, it would be a surprise to see a new face arrive.
Matip is going to be a big loss for the Reds, especially with such a busy period of fixtures ahead in December, and given his past injury history, there will be concern about how long he will be unavailable.
