Liverpool unlikely to sign centre-half reinforcements in January as Klopp offers transfer update

Jurgen Klopp admits that Liverpool are unlikely to sign a centre-half during the January transfer window, but nothing is being ruled out as the Reds continue to mull over their options.

Having seen Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip pick up untimely knocks, the defending Premier League champions have been left down to the bare bones at the back.

It was expected they would dip into the winter market for reinforcements, with various targets being mooted from Dayot Upamecano to Kalidou Koulibaly via Ben White and David Alaba.

Klopp, however, has always maintained that he will not spend for the sake of it - and that remains the official line coming out of Anfield.

Quizzed again on his recruitment plans ahead of their FA Cup third-round clash with Aston Villa, the Liverpool boss said: “I cannot say definitely we will not bring anyone in, it is just not likely because of the situation in the world. We should not forget that the situation is a tough one for all people, and for football clubs as well.

“There might be, I don’t know, there might be some clubs who have absolutely no financial problems, but this club always was and always will be, with these owners, very responsible with the things we do.

“If the world was in a normal place, everything fine, we won the league, Champions League, the club was in the best possible situation.

"Then we had three senior centre-halves, plus Fabinho, plus kids, and the three seniors are all injured. Would that be a situation where normally we would do something? Yes, definitely - but we are not in that situation.

“I don’t know if something will happen or not. Maybe you could do something but that would be a short-term solution, and we don’t have that short-term solution. That’s not right, because it doesn’t help really.

“We have to deal with the situation like we did so far, and get through it. It’s not the best situation for the whole planet, so why should it be for the football club?”

While Liverpool have seen their numbers depleted at the back, they continue to boast an enviable array of attacking options.

Diogo Jota has been removed from those plans after joining the ever-growing injury list, but Klopp says the Portuguese forward will not be forced under the knife and will be given as long as he needs to shake off a knee complaint.

The German added when asked for an update on Jota, who has made an immediate impact on Merseyside: “It will still take time, he is still wearing a brace so that means he is still a few weeks from team training. It takes time. No surgery needed, which was good, but it was a proper injury, not a little knock. No real timeframe there.”